Tampa Bay Buccaneers name Dirk Koetter new head coach

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially named Dirk Koetter head coach

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially named Dirk Koetter head coach, the team announced Friday.

Koetter served as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator in 2015, his first year with the team after spending the last eight seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Koetter replaces Lovie Smith, who was fired last week after two years as head coach, to become the 11th head coach in Buccaneers franchise history and their third in the last five seasons.

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“We are excited to announce that Dirk Koetter will lead the Buccaneers as our new head coach,” Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer said. “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. 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.”

Under Koetter, Tampa Bay’s offense ranked fifth in the NFL and set team records for total net yards (6,014) and yards per play (5.9). In 2015, the team finished 6–10 and last in the NFC South for the sixth time in the past seven years.

- Erin Flynn