Hours after Jon Gruden was fired as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, news surfaced that his assistant Raheem Morris would replace him.ESPN is reporting that Morris will be introduced as the Bucs' new head coach on Saturday, and that Mark Dominik will replace Bruce Allen as general manager.
Morris was the Buccaneers' defensive backs coach for the 2008 season and had been promoted to defensive coordinator when Monte Kiffin left at the end of the year to become an assistant to his son, Lane Kiffin, at the University of Tennessee. Overall, Morris has seven seasons of experience as an NFL assistant, six with the Bucs and one with the Jets. He also has five seasons of experience as a college assistant, with Hofstra, Cornell and Kansas State.
The Denver Broncos considered hiring Morris as their head coach before turning to Josh McDaniels, but now that Gruden is out, Morris has been promoted again, to the top job in Tampa.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
1-16-2009 @ 10:31PM
dldap said...
its about time!
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1-17-2009 @ 6:33AM
Cyndi said...
FINALLY!!! The Bucs Super Bowl win was definitely due to Tony Dungy's team building. Gruden came in and just got really lucky his first year. The past few DISMAL years show how 'great' a coach he is.
Does anyone in Tampa have Mike Shanahan's number?! If so can you please shove it in front of the Glazer's noses before they do something else stupid???
1-18-2009 @ 7:48AM
Fio said...
Well the NAACP contacted the Bucs ownership if Gruden wasnt fired Blacks were going to RIOT IN TAMPA!
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION! WOOO WOOOOOO HOOO
1-16-2009 @ 10:52PM
jnyb777 said...
Everyone is saying how Great Gruden was and how in his first year as Coach of the Bucs they won a Super Bowl...Point of the matter is that the Super Bowl Bucs were Tony Dungee's Team. Gruden should have gotten let go with Sims!!! How can you possibly lose to the Raiders @ Home for a Playoff spot??????
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1-17-2009 @ 1:38PM
CJOsborne said...
To say that he won with another coaches players is the biggest line of BS in the NFL. There is so much player turnover in the NFL at this day in age. Gruden took the bucs and did what Dungy couldn't do with them, get to the superbowl.
Yes, Dungy did win in Indy and I'm happy for him, becasue a coach like him deserves to go out with a ring, but make no mistake he is a defensive guy and he woldn;t have gotten the Tampa offense good enoph to win. He took over at Indy where the offense was in place and he created a deense there.
Just like Gruden did with Monte Kiffin and Tampa's Defense, Dundgy told Tom Moore to keep that offense flowing so I can take care of this defense. Anyone who says other wise is an idiot. How soon you forget that the last coach to win with the Oakland Raiders was Jon Gruden. The Raiders have had one winning season since Gruden came to Tampa.
The man know how to win and he will find another job. It migh tnot be this year, becasue of the timing of it, but next year Gruden adn Shannahan will be top canidates and will be able to pick thiere jobs.
1-16-2009 @ 10:53PM
jnyb777 said...
Well said my friend!!
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1-16-2009 @ 11:01PM
smalpecker said...
Raheem who?,Someone down in Tampa bays ownership has lost there minds,Did they not realise that several of the best players were injured,when tampa lost its last several games and played hurt or not at all,what did you want Gruden to do run out on the field and play himself?Jon Gruden is an awesome workaholic coach,and professional with integrity,more than i can say for the idiots who fired him,and hired a guy with no head coaching exp,little professional exp for a head coaching job what 6 or 7 seasons as an assistant?and some college coaching exp,come next year,the bucs fans and management will be wishing they had gruden back as they speed off to there second perfect season can you say like in the neighborhood of 0-16 or however many games they play now,who cares now that we have idiots owning and running the team,Good luck Jon gruden,You will do well where ever you end up,and im sure it will be a top notch team that will give you what it takes to win,not just enough to get by with ,then drop the hammer on you.
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1-16-2009 @ 11:08PM
HRNuts said...
I'm a Buc's fan from the beginning. Grew up in Tampa and was at their inception game.
Well, I don't feel that way at all. Buc's have a long history of firing coaches and quarterbacks who go on to their next team and win the Super Bowl.
I will miss John Gruden. I loved his passion for the game and his passion for the Bucaneers. It is my hope Gruden follows the Buc tradition, goes on to his next team and wins the Super Bowl. He's earned it!!!
Good Luck, John, and G-d Bless.
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1-16-2009 @ 11:19PM
georgia said...
im so very pissed at the firing of chuckie. why is it always the coaches fault when a team fails maybe they should take a look at the defense thats where we need to make changes. alot of our players need revamping and renewing i have been a bucs fan for long time and really enjoyed gruden coaching i sure hope they dont kick themselves in the ass for this move gl john and just maybe i will stick with you wherever you go
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1-16-2009 @ 11:56PM
mandakins112482 said...
Jnyb777 has it totally right!!! I have season tickets and I never miss a game. It was Dungees Bucs that won the SuperBowl in 03'! I will miss Gruden, but injured players or not, there was no excuse for losing those last few games. The real tragedy is the loss of Monte Kiffin! Whatever. Fan thru and thru, even if we go 0-16, I will be there. GO BUCS!!!
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1-17-2009 @ 1:44AM
David said...
BUCS 1-15 in 2009 equals Tim Tebow 2010. Maybe Tony Dungy can be director of football operations in Tampa since he is no longer coaching. Maybe Gruden can help the Jets win a few games. Just rambling on.
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1-17-2009 @ 1:48AM
Jeannie P said...
The press may have actually made several statements that were true. The first being the firing of Gruden came as a "surprise" and the fact that his duties were "unclear". As the youngest and winningest coach in the NFL, he has nothing to cry about. It's a shame that young coaches aren't given time and back-up to develop their skills. Gruden may yet push up through the ranks regardless of the push for fast results. Given the chance, his record clearly shows he has the markings of a winner who may take the next team in for the kill. PS:S.Smiley was right about the push for more black talent being utilized. All about the $, $, $.....
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1-17-2009 @ 4:49AM
hoptown76 said...
Gruden won with Dungy's team. The Bucs practiced against The Raiders's knowing what play they were going to run because it was Gruden's playbook. The Raider's Head Coach didn't even have enough common sense to build a new playbook.
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1-17-2009 @ 7:42AM
crystalball2114 said...
The Bucs are going to replace Gruden with a guy (Raheem Morris) who has never even been a coordinator????? He was just named the D-Coordinator after the season ended. His first coordinator's job at any level. Now they're going to make him the Head Coach?
Great news for whoever is playing the Bucs the next two seasons until the guy gets axed.
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1-17-2009 @ 8:02AM
tiffanyfla said...
Yes, finally- I wished they would get Coach Dungy back . Maybe they will since he left the Colts.
Ummm, we shall see what the future holds for our Bucs. Go Bucs!
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1-17-2009 @ 8:32AM
nazzcarstar said...
Welcome back to the coaching carousel. As a Buc fan from day one And former 4 seat season ticket holder who travelled 390 miles round trip every home game and stayed with the Bucs when the Jags came to Jax (only 140 miles round trip) I am dismayed but not surprised. Perkins, Bennett, Wyche (who actually built the team for Tony Dungy)all went in and out. The management went from running coach to passing coach to running coach with the predictable shuffling of players like a cheap deck of cards and now here we go again. I watched the Bucs play 12 minutes into overtime against the Falcons with a patched up O-line and bandaged D=line and was sorry we lost but proud of the effort. Cadillac Williams injury wasn't Grudens fault nor was the loss of any of the rest of the players and you just can't win with the second string. Even Nascar fans realize a flat tire under a green flag is a tough thing to overcome anywhere but kills you on cetain tracks.(Pocono, Watkins Glen BIg D andTalladega etc.) John Mckay's
famous comment about the execution of his team could well be said about the Buc ownership.
Maxbuc1/Daytona will still be my fantasy tag and I look forward to the reissue of the USF Bulls T=shirts proclaiming them as Tampa's REAL football team just in time for our first ever game and Win over the Champion Gators !!!!! There will still be class A football at the Ray Jay in the Green and Gold uniforms!!!!
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1-17-2009 @ 9:51AM
dsum513 said...
I am so proud of Raheem Morris! I knew him when he coached at Hofstra. He has moved through the NFL quickly and obviously has impressed the Bucs organization. He was one of the top considerations for the Broncos job as well. I dont think you Bucs fans should be writing off his coaching career this quickly. I have faith the fans will love him! Best of luck Rah!
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1-17-2009 @ 11:11AM
kkencotr said...
smalpecker forgot to add to his comment; Sincerely, Jon Gruden
? how much did Gruden pay you to write that.
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1-17-2009 @ 12:24PM
Trey said...
I'm happy for Raheem as I went to high school with him in Irvington, class of '94! He was a good guy then, very level-headed and mature for his age. Hope he does well as the coach of the Bucs!
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1-17-2009 @ 7:20PM
dave said...
I think that the media pressures teams into hiring minorities when they are not ready! This is a classic example. There is NO WAY that he is ready to take over as a head coach! NO WAY! Being a "great guy" does not mean you will be a "great coach"... I was NOT the biggest Gruden fan...but knowing that this is what Bucs fans would be stuck with...I would have never complained. Get ready for 4-12, 3-13, or even 2-14...Bucs are toast!
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