TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers parted ways with quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo on Friday.
Arroyo, 34, came to the Bucs to work under his mentor Jeff Tedford, who was hired as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator when Lovie Smith was named the Bucs' coach last January. But Arroyo, who was a quarterbacks coach at California and the offensive coordinator at Southern Mississippi among his stints as a college coach, struggled in his play-calling duties after Tedford was rarely seen around the Bucs following a heart procedure in late August.
''I just want to thank Lovie Smith, Jason Licht, the Glazer family, and the entire Buccaneer organization,'' Arroyo said in a statement. ''I appreciated the opportunity to come in as a QB coach, and I accepted the additional work and responsibilities for game planning placed upon me unexpectedly after Jeff's illness. Despite these difficult circumstances, I enjoyed my time here very much. I am certainly looking forward to continuing my coaching career in the NFL, and this experience will prove invaluable.''
The Bucs were among the NFL's worst offenses last season with Arroyo serving as the acting coordinator, ranking 30th in yards gained (292 per game), 29th in both scoring (17.3 points per game) and rushing (85.9 yards per game), plus 25th in passing (206.1 ypg).
The Bucs' move away from Arroyo is predictable, after Dirk Koetter agreed to terms to become their offensive coordinator on Jan. 8. Tedford was released from his contractual obligations on Dec. 5, and he later became coach of the Canadian Football League's B.C. Lions.
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
