Now that the dust has pretty much settled on the Liam Coen fiasco, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are marching forward with trying to find the right guy to replace him. For as lame as the way he exited was, Coen set the bar high for whoever takes over next season.
It’s been a steady upward trajectory for the Buccaneers’ offense, as Coen took the keys from Dave Canales who was able to lay the groundwork for things to start turning in the right direction. Baker Mayfield has improved in each of the last two seasons, the run game has been fixed, and there are weapons all over the place that should intrigue candidates the Bucs bring in.
Above all, the fact that the last two guys who took over as offensive coordinator parlayed their success into head coaching gigs after just one season of work is the attraction blinking in bright lights over the opening. Tampa Bay has one of the best offenses in the league, but the team has proven to be a springboard for coaches looking to kick their careers into hyperdrive.
It’s a tough act to follow, and a hard thing for the Bucs to do as far as pulling another rabbit out of their hat for offensive coordinator. The team has a top job, though, and already the list of candidates they’re bringing in feels like another group of potential winners.
Every Bucs OC candidate the team has interviewed so far
Marcus Brady, Los Angeles Chargers Pass Game Coordinator
- Indianapolis Colts: QB Coach/Offensive Coordinator (2018-2022)
- Philadelphia Eagles: Offensive Consultant (2022-2023)
- Los Angeles Chargers: Passing Game Coordinator (2024)
He’s flown under the radar in the pros, but Marcus Brady has worked with all of the right head coaches and offensive systems. He was with Frank Reich in Indy, went to the Super Bowl with the Eagles and Jalen Hurts, and was part of Jim Harbaugh’s revival of Justin Herbert last season.
Nothing about that leaps out as obvious front runner stuff, but it’s the kind of experience that the Bucs have looked for in the past. Over the course of his coaching career, Brady has worked with Andrew Luck, Phillip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Jalen Hurts, and Justin Herbert; that’s a pretty great group to have molded your coaching experience with to port onto continuing Baker Mayfield’s development.
Grant Udinski, Minnesota Vikings Assistant Offensive Coordinator
- Carolina Panthers: Coaching Assistant (2020-2021)
- Minnesota Vikings: Assistant to Head Coach, Assistant OC, Assistant QB Coach (2022-2024)
This both the riskiest choice but also the one that feels the most aggressively on-brand in terms of the direction the Bucs have been going with offensive coordinator searches over the last two years. Canales was young and inexperienced, Coen was coming from Kentucky, and Udinski feels like the extreme fringe version of them both.
His coaching experience is every limited, but he’s worked with the right type of offensive-minded head coaches in the short time he’s spent in the NFL. Matt Rhule didn’t exactly light the league on fire but he clearly skews more toward the college side of things, while Kevin O’Connell is a perfect mentor for a young coach to learn from.
The results also speak for themselves too. While other coaches were higher up the food chain than Udinski, he’s partially responsible for the season Sam Darnold had, and brings an evolution of McVay’s style of offense — or whatever KOC was able to change up as his own.
Another reason this would be a massive swing for the Bucs is that Udinski hasn’t yet turned 30-years-old, which would put him on the type of unprecedented coaching rise that seems to be what happens to guys Tamara Bay hires.
Nate Scheelhaase, Los Angeles Rams Assistant OC/Pass Game Coordinator
- Los Angeles Rams: Offensive Assistant, Passing Game Coordinator (2024)
While it’s not relevant NFL experience, it’s worth noting that Scheelhaase cut his coaching teeth at the college level. He spent time at Illinois and ended up peaking as Iowa State’s offensive coordinator in 2023 before getting hired by Sean McVay this past offseason.
It’s a pretty eclectic mix of experience, and something that seems to be what the Bucs have been looking for. Dave Canales was inexperienced as a pro coordiantor and Liam Coen brought college experience from his time at Kentucky, as well has having worked with McVay.
What Scheelhaase theoretically brings to the table is system continuity, as while he didn’t work with Baker Mayfield he comes from the same offense that Coen was running last season. That’s going to be a key selling point in addition to the Bucs’ ability to pick the right fruit from the McVay coaching tree.
More Tampa Bay Buccaneers news and rumors