Dirk Koetter Makes Rare, But Smart Decision

First time head coach Dirk Koetter is relinquishing some of his power for the betterment of the Buccaneers. Why this decision is the right one, at the right time.

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How many times have we seen a poor play call in a crucial situation? A coach letting twenty to thirty seconds roll off the clock that were desperately needed at the end of a game? A pivotal moment that was overthought to the point of crippling the team and resulting in a loss? Week in and week out in the NFL, and far too often with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the past few seasons. Dirk Koetter is looking to end that.

Back in January, Kotter made Andrew Weidinger the offensive quality control coach. A title that appeared meaningless at the time because, well, what exactly is a “quality control coach” going to do? As a fifteen year veteran of the food service industry, I and managers I worked for used the term “quality control” as an excuse to eat some food without having to pay for it. It wasn’t a legitimate thing, and no one was really sure what it meant in this situation, so it went by the wayside and no one gave it another thought. That is, until Koetter elaborated on the role with Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole;

"“There are just so many situations that come up in NFL game, whether it’s clock management or just game-ending situations, to have someone that they’re fully dedicated to that preparation in leading up to the game and on game day made sense.When I was the offensive coordinator, if I was up in the box, we always had a designated coach on the field that if I said, “This situation is up” and the head coach was on the other side of the phones talking to the defensive staff, that coach on the field would go remind the head coach about this or that. There is so much pressure when that clock is ticking, you have to have somebody who is on top of that and looking ahead.We’re going with a young guy who, between me and Mike Smith, has been around us for like eight years. He’s been a quality-control guy, but he knows everything inside and out, and he has a calm demeanor to him.In a challenge situation, you have 10,000 guys on the phone yelling, “Challenge it, challenge it, challenge it!” You have to have someone who can take all the emotion out of it and answer the question, “Should we challenge it?” Or is it even challengeable? That’s what I’m finding to be the hardest part, is it challengeable or not?”Aug 24, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter congratulates quarterback Jameis Winston (3) after he made a touchdown during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports"

This hire will be one of, if not, the most vital one for Dirk Koetter in his inaugural head coaching season in the NFL. Someone that he can rely on, the only voice he has to listen to, to give him the right suggestions without any emotion attached to it whatsoever. Dirk Koetter, as many of you saw in his press conference, is an emotional guy. Heck, most NFL coaches are emotional guys, and sometimes emotion can cloud sound judgement and cause you to make the wrong decision at the worst time. The control that Koetter has given Weidinger eliminates one of the biggest variables of this job; emotion.

Dirk Koetter is surrounding himself with men he trusts to get this team to the next level. As we all know, they need to do it much sooner than later. Most Bucs fans believed Koetter was the right man and what we’ve recently learned about the Offensive Quality Control position, it appears the Bucs have a very smart man who thinks outside the box to give the team the best chance to win.

Next: Bucs UDFA Profile: Elijah Shumate

And, at the end of the day, that’s all we can hope for. Right?

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