Buccaneers: Defensive Line coach candidates emerging

With the recent firing of defensive line coach Jay Hayes, the Buccaneers are beginning to have some replacement candidates emerge.

It’s odd, really. The timing of Jay Hayes’ firing was not only poor, but extremely confusing. With the coaching candidates all but gone, the Buccaneers moved on from Hayes 42 days after their final game ended, leaving every other team – sans the Indianapolis Colts – to attack the coaching pool and improve their staff. Now that the pool has been drained virtually dry, where do the Bucs turn for answers?

Internal candidate Paul Spicer has been named as a potential replacement and will reportedly interview for the position. Another name we’ve seen floated around is Arizona Cardinals’ defensive line coach Brentson Buckner. Tuesday, it was reported that former Colts defensive coordinator Ted Monachino will also be interviewing for the position.

Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com joined us on the Locked on Bucs Podcast (listen below) to discuss the situation and he pointed out not to sleep on college candidates. Many college coaches are looking for their opportunity to get into the NFL ranks and a position like this can be what opens the door for them.

In that spirit, one name that would be interesting to keep an eye on is Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson. Johnson has been in Columbus since 2014 and in that span, the Buckeyes have had one of the most feared and dominant defensive lines in all of college football.

It seems most likely that an inside hire will happen as it’s the most logical scenario given the timetable in which this is all occurring, but that certainly isn’t a guarantee. Whoever the job goes to, they have an uphill battle for sure.

Next: Off-Season Position Preview - Tight End

Be sure to check out the latest Locked On Bucs Podcast below as we speak with Senior Writer and Editor Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com discussing Jay Hayes, Mike Evans‘ contract, Brent Grimes, and talk NFL Draft!