The Tampa Bay Buccaneers introduced Dirk Koetter as their new head coach on Friday.
Buccaneers hire OC Dirk Koetter as new head coach
Koetter was promoted after the team let go of Lovie Smith.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Koetter has been a name on the rise for some time, and this will be his first gig as head coach in the NFL. He was the head coach at Boise State and Arizona State, and when he came into the NFL in 2007 he was the offensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2012, he joined the Atlanta Falcons for two seasons in the same role.
This past season, Koetter was the offensive coordinator of the Buccaneers and was in charge of putting rookie first overall pick Jameis Winston in a position to succeed under center. Winston had a decent rookie season, completing 58.3 percent of his passes for 4,042 yards with 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Koetter had a 26-10 record as head coach at Boise State, and a 40-34 record with Arizona State.
Koetter joined the Buccaneers under Lovie Smith a season ago and it was widely reported that the organization was very impressed with him. Smith was a surprising firing in the offseason given his history. Many felt he would get more time at the helm, but with this promotion it seems like keeping Koetter -- who could have potentially left elsewhere for a head coaching job -- was a higher priority for the organization.
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