IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith have been the best of friends for nearly 20 years.
It all started in 1996 at a Tampa Holiday Inn Express, where they were roommates as new assistant coaches on Tony Dungy’s new staff. Smith had come from Ohio State and Marinelli had arrived from USC.
They spent night after night talking about the nuances of the Tampa 2 defense, whether it was linebacker drops, defensive line hand placement or the importance of a defensive back’s first step when chasing a runner.