The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished yet another disappointing season Sunday, and one day later, they decided to clean house.
The Bucs fired head coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik on Monday morning, the team announced. Schiano spent just two seasons at the helm, and Dominik lasted five seasons.
“The results over the past two years have not lived up to our standards, and we believe the time has come to find a new direction,” Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer said in a statement released by the team. “Mark has been a valued member of our organization for two decades and we respect the passion he showed for the Buccaneers during his time here. We thank Greg for his hard work and effort the past two seasons, but we feel these moves are necessary in order to achieve our goals.”
Schiano, 47, went just 11-21 in two seasons with the Bucs. His first season in Tampa actually was a big success, taking a 4-12 club and leading them to a 7-9 record in 2012. This season didn’t go quite as well, though, as the Bucs went just 4-12, including a 0-8 start to the season. Schiano’s corroded relationship with former quarterback and first-round draft pick Josh Freeman, and the controversial details of his release, only made matters worse for the head coach.
Dominik, 42, took over as GM in 2009 after eight years as Tampa Bay’s director of pro personnel. The Bucs failed to make the playoffs in any of Dominik’s five seasons in charge.
While Dominik might have trouble immediately landing another GM job, there undoubtedly will be interest in Schiano, if only in the college ranks. Schiano had a very successful 11-year run at Rutgers before jumping to the NFL in 2011, and Penn State already is rumored to be interested in him, if Bill O’Brien makes the leap back to the pros. Schiano also could draw interest as an assistant coach for NFL teams, including the Patriots, considering his close relationship with Bill Belichick.
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