Buccaneers Shake Up Coaching Staff
Todd Bowles and his team are making significant changes.
On Thursday, Bowles dismissed five assistant coaches as part of what seems to be a restructuring ahead of the next season.
The coaches let go include offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, quarterbacks coach Thaddeus Lewis, defensive line coach Charlie Strong, and cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross.
In a statement, Bowles expressed, “Such decisions are tough. However, with the season concluded, some adjustments to our coaching staff became necessary to uphold the standards we set here. Each of these coaches contributed significantly, yet last season didn’t yield the desired results.” He went on to say, “Our aim is to contend for a championship annually, and it’s my duty to make the hard choices that align with that goal. I appreciate the contributions from those coaches over the years and wish them well in the future.”
This overhaul follows a lackluster 8-9 season, marking the first time the Buccaneers missed the playoffs since 2019.
Bowles, having extended his contract in June to remain with the team through 2028, had previously led the Buccaneers to three consecutive NFC South titles from 2022 to 2024.
Reflecting on the past season, Bowles lamented, “It’s unfortunate we couldn’t secure more wins to reach the playoffs. The question of who returns or departs is secondary. We simply didn’t play well enough to win.” He added, “In the coming days and weeks, we’ll sort everything out.”
With Bowles taking control of the defense since 2019, he now faces the challenge of finding the Buccaneers’ fifth offensive coordinator in as many seasons. There’s also the possibility of hiring a full-time defensive coordinator.
This season, under McGaughey’s direction, the team allowed 28.2 yards per kick return, ranking third-worst in the league, and was tied for the highest number of blocked field goals surrendered.
Despite Grizzard’s tenure, the Bucs saw a decrease in points allowed per game this season, averaging 21.4 compared to 28.8 in the previous year, while their third-down conversion rate fell to 41.2 percent.
