Bucs boot Coach Gruden, GM Allen

I had intended to write a wrap-up/postmortem on the 2008 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season for some time, now, but I've been slowed by the fact that I haven't yet watched the final two games along with the realization that I don't really know what went wrong down the stretch.

I mean, sure, the run defense went way south. Yes, there were injuries to the defensive tackles and to linebacker Derrick Brooks. Yes, Monte Kiffin announced that he would coach alongside his son Lane up in Knoxville with the University of Tennessee. But I wouldn't ordinarily blame the abysmal performance on either one of those factors. The combination? Just maybe, but I hesitate to say.

Then today the team announced the firing of Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen. That surprised me. I thought the signing of Raheem Morris to replace Kiffin provided evidence that Gruden would remain, and I figured the defensive line coach Larry Coyer would figure in the new coaching staff.

But I misread the signs.

Morris was apparently few degrees hotter as a coaching prospect than I suspected. The team is apparently elevating Morris to the head coaching position. Joe Barry, the former Bucs linebackers coach who spent the past two years in Detroit as defensive coordinator under Rod Marinelli, re-signed with the Bucs and is the odds-on favorite to assume the role of defensive coordinator.

Mark Dominick apparently will rise from within the organization to replace Allen as general manager.

My two cents:

My problem when the Bucs dismissed Tony Dungy was the question about the quality of his replacement. I can't stand Bill Parcells, so I wouldn't have been happy with that. I didn't see Steve Mariucchi as a superior coach to Dungy. Gruden (and I said this soon after Dungy's firing) was the only available coach I saw as a possible upgrade, though I use "available" loosely.

Raheem Morris is less well known than was Gruden. The buzz surrounding the young coach is impressive. Jim Flynn of The Pewter Report tapped Morris early on as the type of coach who might follow the footsteps of former Buc assistants Herm Edwards, Lovie Smith and Mike Tomlin. I suppose I could throw Rod Marinelli in there, but the list looks more impressive without, given his record with the Lions.

So, this coaching change is a gamble. Promoting Morris might be the best move the Bucs ever made. If Morris was instrumental in drafting Tanard Jackson, Sabby Piscitelli and Aqib Talib over the past two seasons then we at least have an indication that he is a good judge of talent. At least for defensive backs. And Morris' abilities as a motivator have been acclaimed early and often.

Ironically, the Gruden/Allen combination have assembled personnel on the offensive side of the ball to make the old Tony Dungy style of offense work well. It remains to be seen what type of offense Morris tries to make of it.

Best to both Gruden and Allen. I thought both men served the team well. Allen did a particularly nice job at getting Tampa Bay's salary cap situation in order in the wake of the Super Bowl run.

Go Bucs.