Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter was named the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday.
According to NFL.com, Koetter’s contract is for five years. Koetter replaces Lovie Smith who was fired last week. In addition to the Buccaneers he also interviewed with the San Francisco 49ers. The Miami Dolphins and the Philadelphia Eagle had also requested permission to interview Koetter for their coaching vacancies, ESPN notes.
"Dirk has established himself as one of the top offensive coaches in our game while enjoying success at every stop during his college and NFL career," Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer said in a statement. "His success with our offense last season, along with his familiarity with our players and our organization, makes Dirk the right man to lead our team moving forward."
Koetter was a coach at Boise State and Arizona State before going to the NFL. He was the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2007 to 2011 and was with the Atlanta Falcons from 2010 to 2012. In 2015, he became the offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers. The Bucs offense ranked fifth in the NFL and set team records for total net yards (6,014) and yards per play (5.9) under Koetter, according to Sports Illustrated. Koetter also helped Jameis Winston have one of the best seasons by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. Winston completed 58.3 percent of his passes for 4,042 yards with 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He is the third rookie quarterback to surpass 4,000 yards, joining Cam Newton and Andrew Luck.
The Buccaneers were 6-10 this season and finished last in the NFC South for the sixth time in the last seven years.