The Buccaneers' coaching roster has been finalized.
1. Dirk Koetter has surrounded himself with familiar faces.
Koetter's first staff as a head coach includes several assistants he's worked with before, the most notable being Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith. Koetter and Smith worked together in both Atlanta and Jacksonville before Smith agreed to become the Bucs' DC. Offensive Coordinator/ Wide Receiver Coach Todd Monken, Linebackers Coach Mark Duffner and Special Teams Coordinator Nate Kaczor worked were also in Jacksonville while Koetter was there.
*2. Several coaches were promoted. *
In addition to serving as the Bucs' offensive line coach, George Warhop will also be the team's run game coordinator this season. Despite starting two rookies on the offensive line, the Buccaneers finished as the NFL's No. 5 rushing offense. Doug Martin finished with 1,402 rushing yards, the second-most in the league. Andrew Weidinger (assistant wide receiver/ game management) and Zack Grossi (assistant to the head coach) also received promotions.
3. The majority of last year's coaching staff was retained.
Although several new coaches were hired this winter, plenty were retained from last year's staff. Coaches returning this season include: Warhop, Weindinger, Grossi, Quarterbacks Coach Mike Bajakian, Assitant Offensive Line Coach Butch Barry, Tight Ends Coach Jon Embree, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Dave Kennedy, Assistant Special Teams Coach Chris Polk, Running Backs Coach Tim Spencer, Assistant Defensive Line Coach Paul Spicer, Offensive Quality Control Coach Ben Steele and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coaches Joe Vaughn and Chad Wade.
4. The Bucs have several former players on their coaching roster.
Paul Spicer and Brett Maxie both had impressive careers as players before joining the Buccaneers' coaching staff. Spicer played 10 years with the Lions and Jaguars as a defensive end while Maxie spent 13 years in the league with four different teams. Maxie joined the Buccaneers this winter while Spicer arrived in Tampa in 2015. A handful of the Buccaneers' coaches also played in the league, including Ben Steele, Tim Spencer, Carlos Polk, Jon Hoke and Jon Embree.
