It won’t be easy to replace Coen’s play calling proficiency.
“Well, it’s Groundhog Day….again.”
Beyond being a seasonally appropriate nod, it’s now unfortunately become quite relevant to the Buccaneers and offensive coordinator searches.
For the third consecutive off-season, the Bucs will be coach shopping (and I will be writing about it) after Thursday’s shocking turn of events saw Liam Coen renege on his verbal extension agreement with the Bucs in favor of the Jaguars’ head coaching job. The coordinator of a consensus top-5 offense will be gone after a single season, and head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht will be tasked with replacing him like they replaced Dave Canales this time last year.
So, who might Coen’s replacement be? We can run through some possible names to look out for as the Bucs will likely seek to fill this void quickly – the Bucs replaced Canales with Coen in just over a week.
Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Josh Grizzard
This one is easily the top in-house candidate.
The team’s incumbent pass game coordinator and third-down specialist, the 34-year-old Grizzard is an impressive coach who lasted through multiple regimes with the Miami Dolphins as an assistant before getting his expanded opportunity with Tampa.
The Bucs excelled on third down throughout the season, logging an NFL-best 51.1% clip in those situations. Hailing from Yale, he’s been praised by Coen and others for his intellect and approach to offense.
He’s young and unfamiliar with playcalling, but that hasn’t really dissuaded Bucs brass with Canales and Coen, neither of whom called plays at the NFL level prior to being hired.
Promoting Grizzard would also likely cement keeping several assistants on board, like offensive line coach Kevin Carberry, tight ends coach Justin Peele, and receiver coach Bryan McClendon.
Any hire is risky and likely going to result in a regression, so the high-upside play is hardly a bad move here.
Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Thad Lewis
Another in-house candidate, Lewis has lasted through three separate offensive coordinators now.
The former NFL QB turned QB coach impressed both Bruce Arians and Todd Bowles, hence his extended stay and eventual promotion from assistant receivers coach. Bowles was very complimentary upon Lewis’s promotion a couple years ago.
“He is very quarterback friendly,” Bowles said. “I think the world of Thad. I think he will be an offensive coordinator in light [speed] from now. I think it’s a good move for him and I am excited to see it.”
Lewis has assisted Baker Mayfield with reviving his NFL career the last two years, which is certainly a prominent feather in his cap. He took interviews with the Raiders, Bengals, Titans and Bills last off-season, so he has been getting some attention.
Again, no playcalling experience, but the benefits of giving him a shake cover most of the same bases as Grizzard. It would just come down to a matter of whom Licht and Bowles find themselves most impressed by.
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Frank Smith
Yes, outside candidates will absolutely find their way to One Buc Place within the next week, and one might reside just a few hours south.
Like Grizzard, Smith would come from the Miami Dolphins, but the latter also comes with a lot more NFL experience. Smith, who is currently Miami’s offensive coordinator but does not call plays, has cut his teeth through various positional roles, including tight ends coach with Chicago and Las Vegas and offensive line with New Orleans and the Los Angeles Chargers.
His role in the run game was clearly evident in both Miami and Los Angeles, and he would absolutely be interesting in getting the opportunity to coach his own offense. His exposure to a wide variety of systems and concepts theoretically bodes well to creating a smart offense.
He’s gotten some league buzz the last couple years, so it wouldn’t hurt to at least check him out.
Set Number: X164649
Will Stein
If we’re dipping into the college realm, this is more of fun outside-the-box suggestion. Stein absolutely fits the bill for what the Bucs have focused on in terms of playcaller traits recently – young, inventive envelope-pushers who balance the run and the pass well.
Stein has coordinated a lethal offense at Oregon the last two years and at UTSA before that. In 2024, Oregon was generally a top 20 offense in most categories in the regular season, including exceptional numbers on third down (5th in the country) and scoring (36.9 points per game, 7th nationally).
The 35-year-old Stein has roots in a pro-style attack but deploys a variety of concepts out of different personnel groups, including the beloved “pony” package that Coen used to great effect with the Bucs this year. A plus side to that is Stein re-uniting with rookie star Bucky Irving, who played at Oregon in Stein’s first year at the helm.
The former Louisville quarterback certainly sticks out as someone poised for bigger things very soon, so why not in Tampa?
Oregon OC Will Stein – Offensive Philosophy
Begin with the End in Mind
– Starts with the vision from the HC on how he wants the team to look
– My job is to make sure the vision comes to light
– After the game these MUST show up1. Most physical team on the field
– Run to win… pic.twitter.com/HldvAhr81v— James Light (@JamesALight) December 22, 2024
Well, as interesting as it might be in theory, Stein would face hurdles.
He’s never worked in the NFL before in any capacity, so there is some inherent risk there in both adapting scheme to the rigors of NFL defenses and the logistical hurdles of possibly putting together a staff with limited connections – it would fall on Bowles and Licht to bring in established veteran support in an assistant coach type of role. You can look to Seattle just this year, as the Seahawks fired college stalwart Ryan Grubb from their playcalling duties – his first pro opportunity – after just one season at the controls.
Under a microscope, the Bucs might also pause at Stein’s heavy use of zone blocking. A huge part of the team’s unleashed rushing attack was their proficiency with gap principles, and while zone still played a big role in the offensive overall, they might hesitate to install someone who’s not as privy to marrying those two main blocking principles efficiently (the Bucs remained a not-very-good zone run team throughout the year). One part of the puzzle, but an important one.
These are all just a bird’s eye view guess, not many saw Canales nor Coen coming from a hiring perspective. You’ll see a healthy assortment of names mentioned this time as well as Bowles continues to fight off the pressure that comes with being a defensive head coach in an offensive league.