National Football League

Bucs looking at four young NFL assistants for vacant OC role

Updated Jan. 30, 2023 12:57 p.m. ET

As the Buccaneers try to get their offense back to scoring regularly in the 30s, their search for a new offensive coordinator has focused primarily on up-and-coming offensive minds themselves still in their 30s.

Former Bucs and current Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken, 56, is still very much a candidate and expected to interview this week, and the team has already interviewed former Tampa Bay receiver Keenan McCardell, now 53 and the Vikings' receivers coach.

But as the Bucs' search for a replacement for Byron Leftwich continues, we can look at five young assistants — four have interviewed, one is likely to this week — who could follow the NFL's trend of teams trusting under-40 offensive coaches in important roles. Prime examples of that trend include current head coaches Sean McVay, Kevin O'Connell, Mike McDaniel and Zac Taylor, among others.

It's worth noting that Bucs head coach Todd Bowles hasn't worked directly with any of these candidates, suggesting a willingness to hire someone from outside his immediate circle. The new coordinator will likely have significant impact in the hiring of three vacancies on the offensive staff, for new assistants to work with the quarterbacks, running backs and receivers. The Bucs had made Bowles the NFL's highest-paid defensive coordinator under former coach Bruce Arians, so it stands to reason they'd be willing to pay handsomely for the coordinator on the opposite side of the ball.

If the Chargers hire former Cowboys OC Kellen Moore as reported, there were nine NFL teams with offensive coordinator openings as of midday Monday. With candidates appearing and disappearing in fewer than 24 hours, that makes for a competitive environment and urgency in the coming days, especially as new head coaches are hired and can fill their own staffs with assistants.

Here are the four young coaches currently connected to the Bucs' vacancy.

Klint Kubiak, 35

This past season was a disappointing one for Kubiak as the passing game coordinator for the Broncos under fired first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett. But Kubiak's three years in Minnesota, initially as quarterbacks coach under his father, Gary, and then as offensive coordinator in 2021, were very productive. Consider Kirk Cousins' numbers in three seasons working with Klint: 26 touchdowns against six interceptions as a Pro Bowl selection on a playoff team in 2019, 35 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in 2020 and then 33 touchdowns against seven interceptions in another Pro Bowl season in 2021. The Vikings averaged at least 25 points per game in all three seasons.

Kubiak also has a history with one of the key Bucs players: He overlapped two years with receiver Mike Evans at Texas A&M in 2011-12, first as an offensive quality control coach and then as a graduate assistant.

Jim Bob Cooter, 38

Much like Kubiak, Cooter is a former coordinator who was in a lesser role this past season, but his was a positive turn as passing game coordinator with the Jaguars as they won the AFC South title and a playoff game in an impressive turnaround season behind quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Cooter was the Lions' offensive coordinator from 2016 to 2018, working with Matthew Stafford in an offense that ranked seventh in scoring in 2017.

Cooter is a former Tennessee quarterback who worked in low-level roles with Peyton Manning in stops with the Colts (2009-10) and Broncos (2013). His time in Indianapolis overlapped with Tom Moore, who is still coaching at 84 and is a trusted advisor to Bowles and Bruce Arians.

Dan Pitcher, 36

With the Bengals just missing a second straight Super Bowl appearance, there's interest in Pitcher, who has been Cincinnati's quarterbacks coach for all three seasons with Joe Burrow. Pitcher interviewed with the Bucs last week and was able to land a new contract from Cincinnati, which will make it tougher to lure him away but not impossible. Pitcher is a former small-school quarterback (SUNY-Cortland) who came up as a scout with the Colts and has been with the Bengals since 2016. Cincinnati's offense has ranked seventh in scoring in each of the past two seasons.

Shea Tierney, 36

Another up-and-comer who has never been a playcaller, Tierney was the Giants' quarterbacks coach in 2022 as Daniel Jones led the team to a playoff berth and wild-card upset over the Vikings. He followed Brian Daboll from Buffalo, where he spent four years, first as an offensive assistant and then in 2020 and 2021 as assistant quarterbacks coach, working closely with Josh Allen. Tierney also worked under Nick Saban at Alabama in 2016 and 2017 as part of two national championship teams.

Greg Auman is FOX Sports’ NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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