Buccaneers need to call team legend for coaching help after Colts debacle
By Rob Leeds
The NFL is about to start a weird new trend of hiring former players to coaching roles despite not having a history in coaching. Could the Buccaneers join in?
The Colts just sent waves throughout the NFL that are going to have implications for years to come. It may seem silly, but news like this is going to impact every team in the league; even the Buccaneers.
For those who have not yet seen, the Colts just named former player and Ring of Honor member Jeff Saturday to be the interim head coach after firing Frank Reich. The interesting part of this news is that Saturday has only ever coached before this point at the High School level.
Anyone see the issue with this?
Saturday is a Colts legend and a favorite of the fans and those in the front office, but hiring a former player with that being their sole merit during a time where hiring practices are under great scrutiny is a Hell of a look.
Now, the door is open for other teams to do the same thing, whether they are trying to tank like the Colts or not.
Extrapolating this out further, the Buccaneers are about to have a coaching search of their own on their hands when they wise up and fire Byron Leftwich, and the precedent set is that the job can go to any able-bodied individual or any former player that is loved by their team.
Does anyone see where this is going?
Who better is there to help the Buccaneers (without any ounce of prior qualifications as a coach) with their run-first offense than one of the greatest offensive players in franchise history? Is there a better fit than Mike Alstott?
Alstott has about as much coaching experience as Saturday, and it is worth noting that Alsott’s High School team, Northside Christian, is currently 8-1.
You add in this limited experience with a career that is as good as any at the full back position and you have a genuine fit with Todd Bowles’ desires for the roster.
Is it ironic that Alstott would coach a team that didn’t have a true full back? Sure. Is this all for humor rather than a serious suggestion? Absolutely. But at this point, it isn’t a hyperbole to say that almost anyone that has played the game would be a better fit than Byron Leftwich.
Could Mike Alstott be the fix? Who knows, but it is sure fun wondering.
Now that Pandora is out of the box after the Colts making such a silly decision, discourse like this (but far more serious) is about to become much more common.
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