Buccaneers begin to interview offensive coordinator candidates

Jan 24, 2023 - 11:32 PM

Up to this point, the Buccaneers search for a new offensive coordinator has been a slow and steady one with not much news coming out until now.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN got the ball rolling with a report that the Bucs were going to interview Jaguars passing game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. Cooter just finished his first year with Jacksonville and helped Trevor Lawrence have a nice bounce back sophomore season. He was the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator from 2016-2018.

Then shortly after that Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported that the Bucs were also requesting permission to interview Broncos passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak and also included info about a candidate who turned them down in Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.

Stroud also noted that Hamilton has a son who is a QB in high school in Houston so that could be the reason Hamilton declined. Kubiak is the son of former Broncos and Texans head coach Gary Kubiak and was the Vikings offensive coordinator in 2021 and his unit finished 12th in the league in yards per game and 14th in points per game.

Pewter Report capped things off with a report that the Bucs will be interviewing former Bucs wide receiver and current Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell. McCardell also interviewed for the Patriots offensive coordinator position but they hired Bill O’Brien instead.

These names will likely not be the only ones the Bucs interview, but Tampa Bay is now getting the process underway in hopes to find the right hire to turn their offense around in 2023.