There won’t be any last minute change of heart this time. The Bucs have their man: Rutgers coach Greg Schiano has agreed to a five-year contract with Tampa Bay to be their next head coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schiano was ultimately was the backup plan to Oregon coach Chip Kelly. The Bucs were spurned at the last minute by Kelly on Sunday night when a deal appeared close.
Like Kelly, Schiano was an outside the box choice. But he fits the traditional mold of an NFL head coach far more than Kelly. Schiano has NFL experience and his teams are marked by discipline and conservative play. He worked under Dave Wannstedt in Chicago and has an admirer in Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Schiano is a defensive-minded coach, so his offensive coordinator hire will be crucial to the future of Josh Freeman. The Bucs passed on Mike Sherman, Rob Chudzinski, and Brad Childress as potential head coach options. The Bucs were looking for a coach that could get a young roster in line.
Florio waxed philosophic on Schiano’s hiring on Thursday’s PFT Live. So we may as well include it below: