5 early head coach candidates to replace Todd Bowles if Buccaneers move on

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered an embarrassing 23-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 2, and the team seems to be in a free fall. After a 5-1 start last season, they’ve gone 3-10 since then. Naturally, Todd Bowles’ job security is being called into question as 2026 is already shaping up to be another lost season. 

The Glazers have never fired a head coach in-season, so things would have to get unimaginably bad for the Buccaneers to make a coaching change before the end of the year. But if they fail to right the ship and go another year without a playoff appearance, Tampa Bay will almost certainly be in the market for a new head coach next offseason.

Who are some of the early candidates in next year’s coaching cycle that the Buccaneers could pursue if they ultimately move on from Bowles?

5 potential candidates to replace Todd Bowles as Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach 

Jaguars OC Grant Udinski

The decision to let Liam Coen out the door continues to haunt the Buccaneers, but they could have the next best thing. 

Udinski is Coen’s offensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Prior to his current role, he spent three seasons on Kevin O’Connell’s offensive staff with the Minnesota Vikings. 

While he doesn’t have any play-calling experience, Udinski has been behind the scenes learning from two of the best young offensive minds in football and has quickly emerged as an intriguing young coaching candidate.

He’s only 30 years old, so there will be questions about his readiness to lead a locker room, but Sean McVay was only 30 when he was hired by the Rams. Perhaps it's worth the shot to see if the Buccaneers could strike gold just like the Rams did with McVay. 

Rams OC Nate Scheelhaase

Nate Scheelhaase is another up-and-coming coaching candidate who will be leading an NFL team within the next few years.

He interviewed with the Bills, Steelers, Browns, Ravens, and Raiders for their vacancies last offseason and reportedly blew teams away during the process. 

Scheelhaase serves as the offensive coordinator in Los Angeles and has worked as Sean McVay’s play-drawer — the same role formerly held by some of the league’s top offensive minds including Liam Coen, Kevin O’Connell, and Zac Taylor.

Everybody wants to find the next Sean McVay, and the 35-year-old Scheelhaase straight off his coaching tree could be a franchise-changing hire for the Buccaneers.

Ravens OC Declan Doyle

Declan Doyle spent time under Sean Payton with the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos as an offensive assistant and tight ends coach.

He then joined Ben Johnson’s staff, serving as the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator. After just one season, he accepted the same position with the Baltimore Ravens, but with one key change: he’s now the play-caller.

The 30-year-old will be a top head coaching candidate next offseason, with a résumé that includes play-calling experience and time coaching under Payton and Johnson. That combination makes Doyle an intriguing name to watch for the Bucs if they move on from Bowles.

Vikings DC Brian Flores

After three young offensive coaches, Flores is the first defensive-minded candidate on the list. 

He’s the most ruthless defensive play-caller in the NFL, blitzing opponents more than anybody else in 2025. Through two games this season, the Vikings are blitzing opponents over 70% of the time, while nobody else has excluded 50%.

Todd Bowles has faced plenty of criticism for his own aggressive approach on defense, but the difference is that Flores has produced strong results with his pressure-heavy scheme. Minnesota's defense ranked No. 3 in yards allowed, No. 2 against the pass, and No. 7 in points per game allowed last season.

Flores is known for his no-nonsense, disciplinarian approach, something he perhaps picked up from his 15 years in the New England Patriots organization. If the Bucs do go the defensive route again, Flores is the best man for the job. 

Former Steelers HC Mike Tomlin

Mike Tomlin coached the Steelers for 19 years, and never had a losing season during his tenure. He stepped down from his position in Pittsburgh after the 2025 season, but is expected to eventually return to the NFL when the right opportunity arises.

A similar situation played out when the Buccaneers enticed Bruce Arians out of retirement in 2019 to be their head coach, and that resulted in a Super Bowl. Could they go that route again?

Tomlin also has a unique connection to the franchise. His NFL coaching career started as the Buccaneers defensive backs coach from 2001-05. He was part of Jon Gruden's staff that helped the Bucs win the first Super Bowl in franchise history, and his defensive backs played a key role in that success.

It would be quite the story to see it all come full circle for Tomlin with a return to Tampa Bay over 20 years later with a chance to compete for another championship in the city where his NFL coaching career began.

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