Buccaneers GM Jason Licht explains curious firing of Lovie Smith
When a head coach in the NFL gets fired, there's going to be many questions, regardless of the situation. When it's a head coach in the position of Lovie Smith with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there are many more questions.
Some believed that the decision to fire Smith was unfair as he took over a rebuilding franchise and just finished his second season at the helm. Linebacker Lavonte David even went so far as to call the firing "stupid." So, the only way for general manager Jason Licht to clear the air was to make a statement on the topic and he did just that on Thursday.
Via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk:
“When you have eight wins, and three home wins, in two years, you’ve been patient enough,” Licht said.
Well, there you have it.
This is incredibly compelling from #Bucs GM Jason Licht, explaining the brutally honest process of firing LovieSmith & why it happened Wed.
— Ian Rapoport(@RapSheet) January 7, 2016
Alper also pointed out that Licht said the "franchise needed a new face," and added that he did not believe Tampa Bay's decision to make a coaching change after two years was a sign of impatience.
Essentially, Licht said the exact opposite of what many people were thinking on the subject. FOX Sports NFL Insider Jay Glazer tweeted that, not surprisingly, Smith was stunned at the firing.
Reason Loviewas good for Bucs, they needed a grown up to end years of drama there. Instead they (cont) https://t.co/Bnt0fWdWyP
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) January 7, 2016
Regardless, the next coaching search begins in Tampa Bay, and Smith is now looking for a new job once again.
Jeff Smith writes about the NFL for FOX Sports. You can find him on Twitter @JSM8ith.
