The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced on Tuesday morning that they have completed an interview with Dave Ragone for their open offensive coordinator spot. Ragone most recently served as the Los Angeles Rams' quarterback coach in 2024 after three seasons (2021-23) as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons on Arthur Smith's staff.
The Buccaneers have moved quickly to identify and meet with potential replacements for Liam Coen, who was named the Jacksonville Jaguars' new head coach last Friday after one season as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator. The team interviewed Los Angeles Chargers Pass Game Coordinator Marcus Brady and Minnesota Vikings Assistant Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Grant Udinski on Saturday, then met with two other assistants on Sean McVay's staff in Los Angeles on Monday: Offensive Assistant/Pass Game Specialist Nate Scheelhaase and Tight Ends Coach/Pass Game Coordinator Nick Caley.
All of the interviews so far have been conducted virtually.
Like Scheelhaase and Caley, Ragone helped the Rams excel on offense and win the NFC West title in 2024 with a 10-7 record, followed by a Wild Card victory over the 14-3 Minnesota Vikings. Despite losing wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua plus multiple starting offensive linemen for long stretches due to injuries, the Rams ranked 10th in the league in passing yards per game (227.5). Under Ragone's guidance, veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford had another strong season, throwing for 3,762 yards and 20 touchdowns while completing 65.8% of his passes.
Ragone began his coaching career in 2010 with the Hartford Colonials of the UFL. After just one season of coaching the Colonials' quarterbacks, he was hired by new Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Munchak to serve as the wide receivers coach, a position he held for two years (2011-12) before moving over to the Titans' quarterbacks room in 2013. Munchak and his staff were dismissed after the 2013 season, but Ragone returned to the NFL in 2015 as Washington's offensive quality control coach.
In 2016, Ragone was hired by John Fox to serve as the Chicago Bears' quarterbacks coach. After two seasons on Fox's staff, he was retained in the same position by new Head Coach Matt Nagy. Nagy promoted Ragone to pass game coordinator in 2020.
Ragone also played quarterback in the NFL, as the Houston Texans drafted him in the third round in 2003 out of Louisville. He started two games for the Texans as a rookie and later spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals, St. Louis Rams and Carolina Panthers.
