It wasn’t even here today gone tomorrow for Chip Kelly in Tampa Bay.
The Oregon coach reached an agreement to become the next coach of the Buccaneers early Sunday night and just before midnight he pulled out, saying he had changed his mind and decided to remain with the Ducks program, according to the Register-Guard.
That means the Bucs’ coaching search, which began Jan. 2 when Raheem Morris was fired, enters Week 3. The Ducks won the Rose Bowl this year and played for the BCS championship in 2011.
Kelly, who makes a little more than $3 million annually, has a relationship with former Bucs coach Jon Gruden and tried to lure him to come be his offensive coordinator in 2009.
The Bucs will either have to consider some of the candidates they have already met or strike out in a new path. They have interviewed three former NFL head coaches: Brad Childress, Marty Schottenheimer and Mike Sherman. They have also met with Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski and Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements. Tampa also met with Joe Philbin, who went from being the Packers offensive coordinator to coach of the Dolphins.
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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune
The Bucs fired Dungy because he couldn't get the team over the hump,even with Wyche's players. They fired Gruden because he refused to develop a young QB. They fired Morris because his team was an a hilarious disgrace and embarrassment that anyone could see.
Jan 23, 2012
06:39 PM
LOL at Tampa bay for nobody wanting to be their coach. Maybe this is what happens when you have a long history of firing good coaches for one bad season. (Dungy, Gruden, Morris....) I sure wouldn't want to be next in that line.