The Tampa Bay Buccaneers thought that passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard would be able to replace Liam Coen after his unceremonious exit to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but that theory was proven wrong after just one season.
Both Grizzard and quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis were fired after Tampa Bay went from a 6-2 team on the verge of a playoff birth to an 8-9 squad that missed the postseason altogether. Baker Mayfield will be looking for his ninth offensive coordinator in his professional career.
The Bucs will still b a very attractive job, as they have Mayfield installed at quarterback and a weak division. These five coaches seem almost ideal for the role of Tampa's next offensive mastermind, and they should be at the forefront of Todd Bowles' search.
5 OC candidates Bucs must consider after Josh Grizzard firing
5. Tommy Rees, OC, Cleveland Browns
Rees has put together some mixed results over the last few months in Cleveland, but the quarterbacks he was working with are subpar. Rees is well-regarded across the league, and Mayfield could help him implement the passing game he always wanted.
4. Thomas Brown, Passing Game Coordinator, New England Patriots
Brown may have struggled with the Chicago Bears in 2024, but he is yet another disciple of the Sean McVay tree who played a part in making Drake Maye an MVP candidate in New England. He would likely jump at the chance to call plays for someone like Mayfield
3. Brian Daboll, Former HC, New York Giants
Daboll may not be in line for many head coaching opportunities in the next few years, but teams are still interested in him running their offense due to his past work with developing Josh Allen. Tampa Bay could be a fertile playground for him to get his career back on track.
2. Nate Scheelhaase, Passing Game Coordinator, Los Angeles Rams
Scheelhaase is the next McVay assistant in the pipeline in much the same way Coen was a few years ago. The Bucs can get ahead of the curve by poaching him before he either leaves to take an OC job with Chris Shula or replaces Mike LaFleur in LA should he get some interest from elsewhere.
1. Todd Monken, OC, Baltimore Ravens
Why not try to bring back the Fitzmagic and Jameis chaos days? Not only did Monken get an MVP (which should have been two) out of Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, but he is unlikely to be retained by the Ravens' new head coach. Imagine Mayfield in an offense this vertical.