Lovie Smith... OUT?!?!

[Mr. Scot]

4 hours ago, PandaPancake said:

This has @Mr. Scot written all over it

I'm not the only one who knows, but I'll tell it.

When Lovie Smith was hired to coach the Chicago Bears, he wanted to bring on Bob Babich as his defensive coordinator. Bears ownership had a different idea. They thought it would be great to have a member of the old 85 squad on the coaching staff. Specifically, Ron Rivera.

Lovie grudgingly gave in and took Rivera as his DC.  Babich became the linebacker coach.

Rivera was actually great as the Bears DC.  He was a big reason for their defensive dominance. Still, he wasn't Lovie's guy, so the relationship was strained.  Once Rivera's initial three year contract expired, Smith made no attempt to keep him. He promoted Babich to DC instead.

Rivera walked, and despite having had head coaching interest wound up demoted to a linebacker coach in San Diego. From there, he worked his way back up to DC, and the rest is history.

[csx]

The Rivera Lovie thing is something fans overdo for drama purposes.  Nothing Ron or Rivera say or do suggests any hatred.  Watch them when they talk before and after games. People who hate each other don't text each other. It's all BS.

http://espn.go.com/blog/carolina-panthers/post/_/id/3703/rivera-holds-nothing-against-new-tampa-coach

 

[teeray]

Did not see that coming.  Feel like he deserved one more year

[rayzor]

Didn't see this coming either but I'm not happy about this. I see lovie, John fox, and even Mike smith as all being cut from the same boring and predictable cloth. Solid coaches for sure but they lack the killer instinct to take it all the way. They play It safe and while I have been thinking for a while that the bus were going to be our toughest competition for the next few years I felt safe with them being led by love.  Now I'm afraid that they'll get someone more agressive and That will make them more dangerous and more of a true threat.

[SportsCrazie4172]

I dont know..the fact that TB went at Chip Kelly for a HC position previously and he turned them down might have opened the door again to where this might just happen with Kelly being fired by the eagles

Kelly has the ingredients in TB to make his "system" work..with the sudden firing of Smith I wouldn't be surprise if this came to fruition..

Just my guess..

[TheMaulClaw]

Don't blame the Bucs really.  They probably realize it was the wrong hire to begin with.

[smash_n_dash]

I havent read all the responses here, but if we were to lose McDermott, would Lovie be a potential DC for us?

[csx]

36 minutes ago, thebigcat said:

that's Rivera being classy and PC.... nobody would be happy with being fired after being a part of a 13-3 team and having to rebuild yourself. 

People who don't like each other don't communicate by choice and don't spend the amount of time they do talking at games. It's fan speculation.

Do you think Rivera is the type of character to hold grudges about the path that lead him to his current situation here? Especially at this point in his life and career?

 

[caatfan]

"Five reasons why the Buccaneers fired Lovie Smith" - noticed that the link says four reasons. Looks like they just can't get anything right.

Disappointing results
Free agent busts
All the good things happened on offense
A lack of perspective
To hire Dirk Koetter
http://www.bucsnation.com/2016/1/7/10728138/four-reasons-why-the-buccaneers-fired-lovie-smith 

[Matthias]

So in an effort to keep their offensive coordinator and make him HC, to keep continuity with their offense, they ran the risk of upsetting all their good players on defense.  I hope guys like Lavonte David fights his way out of that cesspool, and perhaps play for a real champion here.

[Ivan The Awesome]

....so the bucs fire the only good coach they've had in a while, although they've had a decent season under a rookie QB. The Saints flirted with trading their d-bag coach, making their relationship even stronger...and the Falcons rise up for half the season and come back down to earth like they do every year. 

 

Did we just become the NE patriots of the NFC south? or the Colts in the Manning era? lol

[PantherWake]

Dont the Bucs realize that part of emulating our success was to be patient

[Khyber53]

They might as well drag out the creamsicle color uniforms again. That last bit of respectability that Dungy and Gruden got for them just got frittered away.

Good job, Suckaneers!

(I still think they will end up with the Bucs and the Jags as the TWO London teams in 2020.)

[KSpan]

1 hour ago, CCS said:

I'm sort of split on him being fired. I definitely do not think it's as dumb as some of you are saying though. On one hand, their defense is not nearly as good as a defensive coach should provide. On the other, they're one of the least talented teams in the NFL so it'll be difficult for any coach to win. 

I wouldn't put them in the top tier for talent, but they're far from being one of the least talented rosters.