The Tampa Bay Buccaneers interviewed a familiar face, Antwaan Randle El, on Friday as they seek to fill their vacated offensive coordinator position. Randle El, who was on Bruce Arians' staff in Tampa in 2019 and 2020, is currently the wide receivers coach of the Detroit Lions. Because the Lions were preparing for their NFC Championship Game in San Francisco last week, the interview was conducted virtually.
Randle El is one of two candidates for whom the Bucs have currently announced the conclusion of a first interview. The team also spoke with former Cleveland Browns Offensive Coordinator Alex Van Pelt in person at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday.
Randle El began his coaching career as an offensive assistant under Arians in 2019. He was hired by the Lions as their receivers coach in 2021 and has tutored a group that has helped Detroit rack up the 10th most receiving yards in the league over that span. That group includes Amon-Ra St. Brown, a former fourth-round draft pick who in three years has compiled 315 receptions for 3,588 yards and 21 touchdowns and has been named both a Pro Bowler in 2022 and a first-team Associated Press All-Pro in 2023.
Prior to launching his career as a coach, Randle El played nine seasons in the NFL with Pittsburgh and Washington. A converted college quarterback, he caught 370 passes for 4,467 yards and 15 touchdowns while also rushing for 438 yards and completing 22 of 27 passes for 323 yards and six touchdowns. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers after the 2005 season, famously throwing a 43-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward for the final points in a 21-10 win over Seattle
