Feb 23, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano speaks at a press conference during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Stephen Holder at the Tampa Bay Times did a great job of drilling down on the coaching history of all the recent coaching hires. See his column here:

We’ll spend time instead grading the hires, on a curve, using ‘potential’ and some common sense rather than measurable metrics since predicting coaching success is inherently unpredictable (see Browns coach Belichick, Bill for a prime example of this).

We’ll break this up into two parts given the size of the coaching staff. Here we go:

Part I.

BUCCANEERS 2012 COACHING STAFF -

Greg Schiano, Head Coach – I’ll spend the least time here since this is the one that is most malleable due to wins and losses. If he wins it’s an A. if not, well, we’ll see. It took a bit of time to get used to it but ever since his first press conference I’ve been drinking the kool aid. Grade: B

Bill Sheridan, Defensive Coordinator – I will come right out and admit that this was the hire I’ve been least excited about. We all know by now his reputation with the Giants and how the defense declined during his watch. However it needs to be stressed that before his defense was decimated by injuries (not just affected as all NFL teams are, but decimated), the Giants were playing very good defense. And yes, we’ve heard the rumors about him dropping linemen into coverage, etc, but let’s not forget about Butch Davis and Schiano here. They are both defensive coaches too and will certainly have some influence. But for now I’ll take a wait and see attitude. Grade: C

Mike Sullivan, Offensive Coordinator – I love this hire. Yes, he has no coordinator experience, but you can say that of every coordinator at some point. He does have coaching experience and he’s had significant success in the NFL developing elite receivers and an elite QB. I like his attitude and drive. We’ll see how he calls plays but I think we’ll see a far more polished offense. Grade: B+

Bob Ligashesky, Special Teams Coordinator – Ligashesky has a lot of NFL special teams experience and has done well at nearly every stop. Grade: B

Jimmy Raye, Senior Offensive Assistant – at first this was a curious hire to me. As one of the first hires, given his role as an assistant I wasn’t sure what his role was going to be. We still don’t exactly but he’s got a ton of NFL experience and that can only be helpful as both Schiano and Sullivan get their feet wet as HC and OC respectively. Grade: B

Brian Angelichio, Tight Ends Coach – I think college position coaches, given the youth of the team is not a bad idea. Remember, Tony Dungy’s staff was largely made up of college position coaches. As we’ve heard preached over and over again, teachers are what are most important. Grade: B

Bob Bostad, Offensive Line Coach – exciting hire with a lot of upside potential. Bostad has experience coaching the O line, tight ends and also recently served as a running game coordinator. In addition to that he had been hired by Pittsburgh to be OC before accepting the Bucs job. As OL coach at Wisconsin, Bostad churned out NFL quality linemen with regularity. One of his players (Pete Konz) is expected to be drafted on Day 1 of this year’s draft. If the Bucs don’t slide Jeremy Zuttah over to C they’ll give Konz a good look on draft day. Grade: B+

Jay Butler, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach – as strength and conditioning coach I have no problem at all with Butler’s lack of NFL experience. In fact, this might be a positive. He’s used to working with kids that have either primarily bad habits or no habits regarding conditioning. And he’s helped produce 13 NFL draft picks in the last 5 years at a modestly sized program. Grade: B+

Ron Turner, Quarterbacks Coach – this was an important hire. We all know that Turner (brother of Norv) was being considered for OC as well. I was not a fan of that possibility but QB coach is far different and I think it’s a good role for him. Concentrating on his pro stints he did very well with less than optimal talent at the QB position in Chicago during the mid 1990’s including working with a rookie QB, Kyle Orton, and helping him and the Bears have success. He’s also worked as a WR coach so there should be a lot of common ground between Turner and Sullivan as they try to get the Bucs offense, and particularly Josh Freeman back on track.

Earnest Byner, Running Backs Coach – Byner has had plenty of success in the NFL coaching the RB’s for the Titans and the Jaguars. Not only with starters, but with backups, which is significant. He’s also done a good job with fullbacks, helping develop Greg Jones into a road grader. Grade: B

Part II Coming Soon…

-Steven Levy

Dan Quinn was not interested in running the Bucs' defense. (Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE)

I mention this because Will Muschamp, the coaching wunderkind who once held the keys to the Texas Longhorns as a coach-in-waiting before the Gators pried him from Austin is himself a D-coordinator. Quinn, for all his talent, isn’t truly the guy behind that defense he is at best is a co-coordinator with Muschamp, at worst he’s an administrator of Muschamp’s D.

I know the knee-jerk reaction to this post on Twitter will be that he was a good candidate or that this was a good decision by the Bucs, but I don’t see it. Greg Schiano has never even coordinated in the NFL himself, let alone run a team. It’s incredibly important to bring in experienced coordinators so that Schiano doesn’t have to coach the coaches, Quinn is not an experienced coordinator.

I would say the Buccaneers were looking to be thrifty but Quinn’s salary at UF is a bloated 510 k, so I don’t know he would have necessarily come cheap. I just don’t understand the draw.

Now, don’t take this as me knocking him as a coach, Dan Quinn is a good coach. He deserves that respect. But zoom out for a second, as a candidate with no NFL coordinating experience coming on to the staff of an inexperienced head coach, is that the kind of risk you want to take? Talent aside, that’s a risky foundation with regard to experience.

Butch Davis is a good candidate, he comes with head coaching experience and a great NFL pedigree. Dave Wannstedt (whom Schiano worked under in Chicago and will now run Buffalo’s defense) would have been a great candidate.

But hiring another coach to run the defense who himself has never even been an NFL coordinator is madness. Part of the reason the last staff failed was lack of experience and so far the only known candidates the Bucs have offered jobs to seem to share that lack of qualification.

Dan Quinn did the Bucs a favor on Monday. Don’t weep for this one.

Butch Davis is high on Greg Schiano's coaching wish list. They worked together at Miami. (Mark Dolejs-US PRESSWIRE)

But he also mentions several other good Schiano-related tidbits. Most notably is Schiano is intent on hiring Butch Davis to be his defensive coordinator. When I initially wrote about potential assistants and coordinators, I mentioned Davis but also that I wasn’t sure he would be receptive. Schiano, though, would know best and according to King really wants Davis on his staff.

Davis struck out as a head coach in Cleveland, but gave Schiano his shot as D-coordinator as the head coach of Miami and is still, much like Dave Wannstedt, a premiere defensive coach. Schiano would help alleviate some of the doubts about his experience by adding Davis, and the defense would certainly be better for it. Personally, I hope Schiano gets Davis. That would be a major victory for the young head coach.

King also touched on Schiano’s relationship with Joe Paterno and his connection with paralyzed Rutgers player Eric LeGrand.

“Thursday was one of the most exciting days of my life, getting this job, and also one of the saddest, because I missed Joe’s service,” he said. “I learned so much from Joe. Like, ‘The only bad decision is indecision.’ I can’t tell you how significant a statement that is.”

Schiano and his wife travelled to Penn State on Tuesday to pay their respects, but considering he started on Joe Pa’s staff I’m sure it was extremely bittersweet for him to have to miss the memorial.

As for LeGrand, Schiano and his family had become almost a surrogate family for the young man. When asked by one of his children what he would do about Eric, Schiano told them:

“I told the kid we’d bring Eric down to Tampa, he’ll stay at the house and we’ll turn him into a Bucs fan.”