Despite improving from 2-14 to 6-10, Lovie Smith was fired by the Buccaneers. Was he given enough time?
Former coach Lovie Smith arrived with a great deal of anticipation. After a Super Bowl appearance in Chicago, he was going to bring the Buccaneers back to greatness, and lead them to another championship. Things seemed to be on the right track, as the team improved from 2-14 to 6-10 in Smith’s second season, with Jameis Winston running the offense. Despite that, he was fired, and he wasn’t thrilled about it, as he told Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports Radio.
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"When you make a change, it takes a while,” Smith said. “We made progress from Year 1, and I thought the team was set up to really take off in Year 3. I can live with that. I’m pretty confident in my abilities, and normally when things like that have happened to me, I’ve been met with another great opportunity, and that’s what I have here with the University of Illinois."
He went on to explain the need for patience:
"I definitely think there should be more patience. It takes time,” Smith said. “If you make a change, there’s something that’s wrong, and you can’t just flip a switch. Things don’t happen overnight. You have to have a plan going in and stick with that plan. When I took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers job, I thought there was a plan in place. I thought that plan was being put into action. When you’re the boss, though, you can be impatient. Normally the franchises that do take their time and give you a chance maintain that level of success."
It’s not unfair of him to feel that way.
Things don’t happen overnight.
It took him three years to with the NFC title with the Bears. Bill Parcells needed four years to bring home the trophy in New York. Bill Belichick spent five years with a team before getting fired, then hired by the Patriots to win a Super Bowl two years into his term. Immediate change doesn’t happen. A coach has to have time to mold the roster to what he wants, and to his image. Two years isn’t enough time.
Next: Bucs Re-Sign Chris Conte
Hopefully, the Glazers know what they are doing here, and will finally allow the Bucs to have some stability on the coaching front.