So where do the Glazers turn now that they've pulled the plug on most of the Raheem Morris regime and begun their quest for a new face of the franchise?
Jeff Fisher? Mike Sherman? Brian Billick? Rob Chudzinski?
Don't feel bad if you haven't heard of that last one, but get ready to learn all about the current offensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers — and plenty of others you haven't given an iota of thought to before — as an old, familiar contest gets under way involving the Tampa Bay Bucs.
The name game.
Head coaching searches are often long, drawn-out affairs, accompanied by frequent speculation and long periods of no news at all. It makes great fodder for sports talk radio and from the sounds of it, there's going to be plenty of time for callers to weigh in with the pros and cons of countless candidates.
Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer made it quite clear Monday afternoon that his family intends to move slowly and deliberately in an effort to find the right man for the job.
You might remember that the Glazers weren't ready after firing Tony Dungy back in January 2002. They then plunged into a head-long pursuit of Bill Parcells, got turned down much to their chagrin, set off on awkward courtships of Marvin Lewis and Steve Mariucci — then suddenly pried Jon Gruden away from the Raiders.
When they fired Gruden in January 2009, they brought on a head coach who wasn't ready — jumping Morris past the next logical career step of defensive coordinator in hopes he would develop into a head-coaching success.
This time, the Glazers must find someone ready to make an immediate impact.
They don't have the luxury of bringing in a promising coach from the college ranks or an up-and-coming assistant with impressive credentials but no head coaching experience on their resume.
That option was knocked off the table by a mind-numbing 10-game losing streak and a 4-12 finish — all the while alienating their customer base.
In a press conference that provided mostly generalities, Glazer dismissed the notion that his family would be guided by the need to make a "splash hire."
The fact is, they have no choice but to do precisely that if they want to get fans back into the seats at Raymond James Stadium.
Names of potential candidates have been swirling through the media and on radio call-in shows since Morris was cut loose just before noon Monday. And there are no doubt many who have made a mark on someone else's staff or done an admirable job in the ranks of Div. I ball. If this was a different set of circumstances, the Glazers might well be wise to give them good, hard looks.
But the one thing the franchise can't afford is to head into 2012 in what looks like a "building year" mode, with an unproven head coach at the helm — no matter how much potential he might appear to have.
That's the card the Glazers have already played with Morris — and they ultimately wound up empty-handed.
Their new hire has to go in the other direction, a coach with strong name recognition and a good enough track record of success to instill instant excitement throughout the fan base.
Sure, you could look at well-respected assistants who eventually blossomed into head coaching stars. Joe Gibbs lost his first five games in his rookie season coaching the Redskins, but finished 8-8 and went on to a Hall of Fame career with three Super Bowl titles. The Glazers are well-acquainted with another example in Dungy, who also rebounded from an 0-5 start to become a Bucs coaching legend and later guided the Colts to the Super Bowl championship.
But the game has changed. Now, the Glazers simply aren't in position to gamble on a non-marquee name with no prior head coach experience — unless they want to risk extending the 10-game misery of 2011 until 2012, and take aim at a turnaround in 2013 or 2014.
You think Raymond James looks lonely now?
If they haven't already done so, it's time to either hop a plane now or at least start speed-dialing Fisher, who interviewed Tuesday with the Dolphins and is reportedly on the radar of the St. Louis Rams.
The man who spent 16 seasons coaching the Houston Oilers-turned-Tennessee Titans — and came within two yards of winning a Super Bowl — would bring both the "splash" and the experience (a record of 146-120) needed to generate a buzz for the Bucs and get them winning again. The same could also be said for Billick, who coached Baltimore to a Super Bowl win over the Giants in Tampa and compiled a record of 85-67 in nine seasons with the Ravens.
Billick is also an offensive-oriented coach who could provide much-needed guidance for slumping quarterback Josh Freeman, who took a huge step backward in his third pro season.
Most everyone seems to be writing off perhaps the biggest name of the bunch — former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, whose accomplishments in 15 seasons include a Super Bowl win, a pair of AFC Division crowns, eight division titles and a record of 149-90-1. Cowher is said to be enjoying his job as a TV analyst for CBS' NFL Today too much, and isn't interested in a return to the sidelines right now.
But the Glazers, if they are truly serious about righting their ship, should do everything possible to get him to change his mind. Heck, nobody expected them to get Gruden away from the Raiders, but they managed to pull it off — the move paid off with a chance to raise the Lombardi Trophy. Just because Cowher doesn't appear interested doesn't mean he might not change his mind for the right offer and control of the team. Make an offer he can't refuse.
Which leads us to the role Mark Dominik may play in the process. The Glazers have retained his services in spite of his hand in the team's collapse. He's even set to play a role in the head-coach search.
The problem with that is Dominik's mere survival in all this mess could provide a major impediment to hiring a top-tier game-changer. He has an inherent conflict in this process in that he would benefit from the hiring of a lower-profile coach, someone that would allow him to retain power and influence as GM.
It's human nature that he'd favor a candidate who'd allow him to remain a full GM. Though he said in a Monday press conference that he'd be willing to share power if need be, Dominik's presence could be a possible turnoff to a high-powered head coach candidate before a conversation even begins.
If the Glazers have any chance of bringing in a marquee name, they'll have to be willing to give Dominik a diminished role in the front office — just as they did with Rich McKay — to give their choice the clout he may want.
That kind of move should happen sooner than later. Even before a serious top-level candidate is invited to talk. Besides, Dominik's track record in bringing on leadership types isn't what you'd call sterling, witness the instant ill-fated hirings — and then firings - of offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinsky and defensive coordinator Jim Bates in 2009. His fingerprints are surely somewhere on those questionable and ultimately embarrassing moves.
Beyond the Big Three, Sherman may draw some interest, given the three division titles he won with the Packers before getting fired after a 4-12 season in 2005. His work with ex-Packer great Brett Favre as offensive coordinator is a feather in his cap. But Sherman was recently fired by Texas A&M after four seasons and a 25-25 record. That, plus the memory of his 4-12 season, make him less than an optimum choice. Do the Glazers really want to go from one coach who just finished with that mark to a guy who sported it in his last NFL foray?
That would signal that the Glazers are continuing to shop in the discount aisle.
If all else fails, and they can't make the splash they need, there are two assistants that could be intriguing. Current Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is no average Joe. He's the man behind the phenomenal success of Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay's electrifying passing game. And he could have two Super Bowl rings in successive seasons come Feb. 5.
Former Bucs special teams coach Rich Bisaccia, who joined the staff of the San Diego Chargers in 2011, has been getting talked up the past two days on local airwaves. As a respected, nine-year coach in Tampa Bay — a guy who knows the culture of the Bucs well — he might be an intriguing choice.
But the stakes are high for the Glazers after gambling and losing on their last pick. Many highly respected coordinators have gone on to flop as head coaches. This time, the Glazers have to go big-game hunting to bring home a prize.
After all, this is about the fans.
