Greg Schiano Discusses His Time With the Buccaneers
Remember Greg Schiano? You know, the person who went 11-21 as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before getting fired, along with general manager Mark Dominik? Yeah, that guy! Earlier today, the MMQB ran a profile on Schiano which included a brief discussion on his tenure with the Buccaneers. For everything that he went through during his time with the Bucs organization, the 48-year-old didn’t have any real mean-spirited things to say.
Instead, Schiano focused on the lessons and changes he made while learning on the job with the Buccaneers.
"“In his first year, Schiano began every meeting with a support staff member taking attendance of every player by calling out his number. One of the players wrote on his survey: “I felt like I was going from cell block to cell block.” Another player chafed at the mandatory meals-a college staple-saying he’d rather have breakfast with his family. So before his second season, Schiano ditched the roll call and made pregame meal the only mandatory one.But Schiano doesn’t feel like the reality of the 2013 season outlasted the reputation from 2012. “You know the saying, You get the reputation for being an early riser, you can sleep till noon,” he says. “Well it goes the other way too. If you get a reputation for being a jerk, no matter how well you treat the players…”Schiano set up a strict program for the rookies in that second season but gave the veteran players much more freedom. If he ends up returning to college, he’ll give established upperclassmen more leeway. “I think you have to do that a little with juniors and seniors,” he says. “And I did. But probably not as much as I will when I go back. When they’re with you for three years, they’re grown up. They get it.”"
More from The Pewter Plank
- Devin White posts cryptic message to Lavonte David on Twitter
- ESPN predicts surprising outcome to Devin White trade saga
- Updated Buccaneers depth chart after signing two players from rookie minicamp
- Todd Bowles sends clear message about Baker Mayfield’s role with Bucs
- The Athletic is wrong about Bucs one ‘must-watch’ game in 2023
For far too many reasons, which is looking eerily similar to the Lovie Smith regime, the Buccaneers could never find success under Schiano. While Schiano’s record as the Bucs head coach suggests that the experiment was a failed one, it seems as though his experience was a valuable one which included some important lessons that he can apply going forward. As Schiano continues to look for his next opportunity, you can only wish him the best of luck.
The Schiano era has come and gone, now it’s time to continue looking forward. It looks like he’s doing the same. Plus, we’re kind of dealing with our own problems right now.