The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' experiment in hiring a proven college coach to run its franchise failed, so now it will go back to a proven NFL coach.
NFL.com's Ian Rappaport tweeted Wednesday night that Tampa Bay officials are completing a deal that would make former Chicago Bears front man Lovie Smith their new boss.
From @rapsheet: "The #Bucs are finalizing a deal for Lovie Smith to be their new coach, per source."
Smith, who served as linebackers coach for Tampa Bay under former coach Tony Dungy from 1996-2000, was also among the candidates for the vacant Washington Redskins job, per the Washington post, as well as the Detroit Lions job, according to profootballtalk.nbcsports.com.
Earlier, Dungy told the Tampa Bay Times he thought Smith was a good candidate for the Bucs.
"I think he knows the lay of the land in the organization, number one," Dungy said. "He's been there and knows how this thing really developed and how it got going well. I also think he could bring some of that back. They've got talented people in place and the one thing he had in Chicago if you talk to all those players was that loyalty factor and guys wanting to play for him and I think that's what he would bring and kind of bring this group together. So I think it could be a really good fit.''
Smith spent nine years as coach of the Bears from 2004-12. He compiled an 81-63 record, guiding Chicago to the 2006 NFC championship and an appearance in Super Bowl XLI. He had four seasons of 10 or more wins, including 2012 - the year he was fired.
Chicago had started that season 7-1 before stumbling and finishing out of the playoff picture.
Smith replaces former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, had an 11-21 record in two seasons as Buccaneers coach. His 2012 team started out 6-4, but the team went on a slump that extended well into the 2013 season. Tampa Bay won just one of its next 14 games, going 1-5 to finish the 2013 season and then losing the first eight games of the 2014 season.
Tampa Bay has not been to the playoffs since 2007, when Jon Gruden coached the team. The Buccaneers won Super Bowl XLI in 2002. They won one division title and qualified for the playoffs on three other occasions.
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