Buccaneers Fire Gruden After a Late Collapse

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Jon Gruden won a Super Bowl in his first season in Tampa Bay. In the next six seasons the Buccaneers went 0-2 in playoff games, missed the postseason four times and lost their final four games this season — including a loss at home to the Raiders in the season finale — to miss the playoffs after starting 9-3.
On Friday, Gruden and General Manager Bruce Allen were fired, an outcome that was shocking mostly for its timing. The announcement came almost three weeks after the regular season, after Gruden had made staff moves and after several teams had already hired some of the hottest coaching candidates.

The Bucs now join the scrum — the Jets, the Rams, the Raiders and perhaps the Chiefs — in looking for a coach.

“We will be forever grateful to Jon for bringing us the Super Bowl title, and we thank Bruce for his contributions to our franchise,” Joel Glazer, Tampa’s co-chairman, said in a statement. “However, after careful consideration, we feel that this decision is in the best interest of our organization moving forward.”

Gruden was 57-55 and was a favorite of television cameras, who captured his outsize facial expressions and made him a star with the nickname Chucky after the horror movie doll. But his recent playoff failures almost certainly figured heavily in the decision by the Glazer family, who famously fired Tony Dungy even though he took the Bucs to the playoffs four out of his last five seasons in Tampa.

When Dungy failed to win a Super Bowl, Gruden was brought in and promptly won with a team that was largely Dungy’s creation. Gruden was a disciple of Mike Holmgren, and his tenure was marked by a nearly constant obsession with the quarterback position. The Bucs won the 2002 Super Bowl with Brad Johnson, a journeyman who did not delight Gruden and sent him on a quest for a quarterback more like the ones he worked with as an assistant earlier in his career: Steve Young and Brett Favre.

Gruden cycled through, among others, Brian Griese, Chris Simms, Bruce Gradkowski and Jeff Garcia, annoying all of them at some point with his wandering eye. Despite Gruden’s reputation as an offensive guru — and particularly as a developer of quarterbacks — the Bucs never found consistency in the offense, relying almost exclusively on the defense for success.

Gruden’s last best hope for reaching his personal holy grail slipped away in August, when Allen failed to land Favre in a trade, even though Favre made no secret of his desire to play for Gruden. Allen was outbid by the Jets, and Gruden and the Bucs were forced to go with Garcia, who was unhappy with the Bucs’ open pursuit of Favre. Allen also failed to draft or acquire young offensive talent that prospered.

Bringing Dungy back may be the fans’ preference, but that would be a long shot. Among the more likely options: the highly regarded 32-year-old Raheem Morris, who was recently promoted from defensive backs coach to replace Monte Kiffin as defensive coordinator and was a candidate for Denver’s top job.

Also Friday, the Bucs hired Joe Barry as linebackers coach. Barry was the defensive coordinator in Detroit, where his father-in-law, Rod Marinelli, was the coach. Marinelli was fired last month. Barry was the Bucs’ linebackers coach from 2001 to 2006.

BOLDIN AND WESTBROOK READY Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin said he expected to play against the Eagles. “I’m feeling good,” Boldin said after practice Friday.

Boldin said a trip to a Dallas chiropractor this week improved his strained left hamstring. The injury kept Boldin out of the Cardinals’ 33-13 win over Carolina.

Philadelphia running back Brian Westbrook, who has a knee injury, also practiced Friday for the first time in three days and is expected to play.(AP) RAVENS HURTING The Ravens may be without linebacker-defensive end Terrell Suggs (shoulder). Suggs, who is listed as questionable, has not missed a game in his six-year career. Wide receiver Derrick Mason (knee, shoulder) is also questionable. Cornerback Samari Rolle (groin) is doubtful. (AP)

COWBOYS FIRE COORDINATOR The Dallas Cowboys have fired their defensive coordinator, Brian Stewart, after two seasons.

Although Stewart had the title of defensive coordinator with the Cowboys, his actual responsibilities were unclear. Wade Phillips, a former defensive coordinator, sometimes took over play-calling duties, and at other times left it unclear who was making the defensive decisions. (AP)