Buccaneers to Interview Numerous Candidates for Offensive Coordinator Position
From the moment Byron Leftwich's firing was first announced, the fans in Tampa Bay have been busy speculating which candidates may be under consideration for the vacant position.
For the past five days, there have been next to no rumblings, leaks, or fragments of credible information to be found regarding who exactly Todd Bowles, Jason Licht, and the rest of the Buccaneers view as a potential replacement for Leftwich.
Until now.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN was the first to announce that the Buccaneers' have requested to interview Jim Bob Cooter, the current passing game coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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Cooter, just 38 years old, was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions for five seasons, from 2014-2019. Despite his age, he has a solid resume of NFL experience. In addition to his half-decade as the OC in Detroit, he's also spent time working on the offensive side of the ball for other NFL organizations, including the Colts, Chiefs, Broncos, and Jets. He also spent two years as a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee.
Shortly after this news broke, it was reported that the Buccaneers have got several other candidates lined up for interviews as well.
Former standout Bucs' receiver, Keenan McCardell, who is currently working as the wide receivers coach for the Minnesota Vikings, was also granted an interview. McCardell, now 53, had a very successful 16-year NFL playing career. As a player, he accounted for 883 receptions, 11,373 yards, and 64 touchdowns. Although he only spent a couple of seasons in Tampa Bay, he certainly made his presence felt. McCardell had 2 touchdowns in the Buccaneers' victory over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.
From a coaching perspective, McCardell has operated specifically as a wide receivers coach. He has done so in the NFL with the Redskins, Jaguars, and Vikings. He held the same role for the University of Maryland for a brief period as well, where he helped to develop Stefon Diggs' skillset as a collegiate player and NFL prospect.
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The Bucs will also be bringing in Klint Kubiak for an interview for their vacant OC position. Klint, the son of former Broncos' head coach, Gary Kubiak, has spent the past decade of his life coaching offense. He's spent some time in the college ranks, including Texas A&M, and Kansas, and he's had two separate stints with both the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings at the NFL level.
Kubiak spent this past season working as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Denver Broncos, under first-year head coach, Nathanial Hackett. After a rough start to the season for Hackett as the team's play-caller, Kubiak took over the reins, and the Broncos eventually saw a bit of an improvement.
After such a disappointing season for the Buccaneers offense, there's no doubt that whoever the Bucs bring on as their new offensive coordinator, that person will be expected to improve upon the results delivered by Leftwich in 2022.
There's no guarantee that any of the three candidates mentioned above will find themselves in that position. But as of now, those are the men whom the Buccaneers' brass has deemed worthy of interviewing for the position.
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