TAMPA - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may not look any further than their own back yard to find a replacement for former coach Lovie Smith.
An NFL source has confirmed to the Tampa Tribune that Bucs offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is a candidate for the team’s head coaching vacancy and will be interviewed for the post.
In his first year with the Buccaneers, Koetter helped groom rookie quarterback Jameis Winston and orchestrated an offensive attack that set a franchise record for total yards (6,014).
The Bucs also finished the year ranked fifth in the NFL in total offense (375.