Harold

Goodwin

Goodwin has been with the Buccaneers since 2019, working as the team’s run game coordinator and assistant head coach. Prior to that, he was the Cardinals’ offensive coordinator. New head coach Dave Canales is building out his staff in Carolina, bringing over multiple assistants from Tampa Bay. Goodwin will now be the assistant head coach and run game coordinator working with the offensive line for the Panthers.

Goodwin, 45, has been by new coach Bruce Arians’ side at his last four stops now, coaching together in Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Arizona, and now Tampa Bay. Goodwin spent 2018 out of the game but did draw some head-coach interest in the offseason ahead of 2017. Goodwin will handle run-game plans while up-and-comer Byron Leftwich will coordinate the pass offense.

Coach Bruce Arians has and will continue to call plays when the games count, but giving Goodwin the opportunity to run things throughout the offseason program and preseason should help prepare him for the coaching carousel. Goodwin interviewed for the Bucs this winter, and he should be a hot candidate again next January.

It’s the second straight year Goodwin has been a hot commodity. Goodwin did an excellent job in 2016, helping mold David Johnson into arguably the best back in the league, and masking Carson Palmer’s issues after an early-season slump. Of course, coach Bruce Arians also deserves a ton of the credit.

It is the Jaguars’ second official interview after the team met with Tom Coughlin last week. Goodwin was a hot name last January and could see several more interviews this time around. Jacksonville is also expected to interview Falcons OC Kyle Shanahan and Bucs DC Mike Smith this week.

We already knew of Los Angeles and Buffalo’s interest in Goodwin, but now we have a timetable of his interviews. Goodwin is sort of an unknown, but he’s been getting interviews for head-coaching vacancies the past two offseasons. He already met with the Jaguars earlier this week. Goodwin has been coaching in the NFL since 2004 as an offensive line coach before taking over as Arizona’s OC when Bruce Arians was named head coach. Arians is the play caller.

Goodwin interviewed with the Bucs last offseason but was passed over in favor of OC Dirk Koetter. The Cardinals have finished with a winning record in three of his four seasons as the team’s OC and have had one of the league’s better offenses during that span. Even if he doesn’t land a gig this offseason, Goodwin should eventually become an NFL head coach.

Goodwin has worked under Bruce Arians since 2007, following him from Pittsburgh to Indianapolis to Arizona. Goodwin has been the Cardinals OC since 2013. Although Arians calls the plays, Goodwin runs the meetings and plays a big role in game planning for the top offense in the league. Even if he does not land a head-coaching gig this cycle, he is on track to run a team in the near future.