As Tampa Bay's season continues to go awry, let's take a look at four options who could replace head coach Todd Bowles if the Buccaneers decide to make a big change.
Let's keep in mind a few things, not the least of which is the Glazers rarely make in-season moves. Anything that happens with Bowles would come after the season and it would still take a lot for him to be outright fired.
The Bucs would need a total collapse for Bowles to be fired. Making the playoffs either buys him another year or allows him to transition into an advisory role like Bruce Arians did. Even missing the playoffs but doing so just barely might not be enough, as there's a fair arguement to be made that injuries piled up unfairly and Bowles could have coached a full roster much better than what we're seeing.
If we're going to toss out speculation about what this season could mean negatively for Bowles' future, it's only fair to float those hypotheticals as well.
There seem to be more ways Bowles is back for one more season than he isn't but if the Bucs do move on there's already a handful of intriguing candidates worth discussing.
4 head coaching replacement for Todd Bowles if the Buccaneers season continues to go awry
Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame Head Coach)
Marcus Freeman has led Notre Dame to incredible heights since taking over for Brian Kelly as their head coach, taking them as far as the National Championship game in 2025. There were NFL teams interested in the 39-year-old last year, and his ability to build a program is something Tampa Bay might benefit from.
Would he leave a job that he's in no danger of losing to take a major risk in jumping to the NFL? College coaches rarely work out, and while Freeman is doing great work with the Irish it's hard to imagine him risking that for anything less than a sure-fire top NFL job.
The Bucs are good, but they don't seem to fit that bill.
Klint Kubiak (Seahawks Offensive Coordinator)
Kubiak is leading one of the NFL's hottest offenses in 2025, one that Tampa Bay got a first-hand look at when they beat Seattle 38-35. Sam Darnold looks like a legitimately good QB, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the top receiver in football. Thinking about what Kubiak could do with Baker Mayfield and Emeka Egbuka is tantalizing.
Mike LaFleur (Rams offensive coordinator)
The Rams might be the only team with a hotter offense than Seattle. Matthew Stafford is leading the MVP conversation, and the Rams look like the favorites to win the Super Bowl.
LaFleur is currently in the shadow of Sean McVay, and it's always a risk to hire a McVay assistant (because it might just be McVay doing all the heavy lifting). However, it worked out pretty well for the Vikings, Packers, and Bengals, all of whom hired McVay assistants and have had plenty of success since then.
Josh Grizzard (Buccaneers offensive coordinator)
Grizzard is the only strong internal option in Tampa Bay, and the Buccaneers could very well decide to give their offensive coordinator a promotion.
However, there is a serious risk in hiring Grizzard to be the next head coach after just one year as the leader of a mostly mediocre offense. Yes, the offense looked good at times early in the season, but one of the big reasons for their 1-4 stretch has been the offense looking lifeless.
It feels like Grizzard needs more time to develop as a play caller before he takes the reins as a head coach.