Yarno named offensive assistant
The Bucs have added former offensive lineman George Yarno to their staff to serve as an assistant offensive line coach.
Yarno was an offensive line coach at Washington State and LSU for the past seven years and has been coaching for 17 years since his retirement from the NFL.
He played with the Bucs during two different stints, 1979-1983 and 1985-1987.
His addition to the staff likely means Aaron Kromer, who formerly held this post, isn't going to return. No word yet on what his future holds.
If Yarno sounds familiar for some reason other than playing offensive line, that's because you probably remember him kicking that extra point in the 1983 season finale. Here's the story in a nutshell:
Coach John McKay watches his team lose 12-9 to Green Bay in a Monday night game after erratic kicker Billy Capece missed two chip shots. After the game, McKay was asked about his kicker and responded saying, "Capece is kaput." Sure enough, he was cut the next day. The following week, in a game at Detroit, new kicker Dave Warnke missed his only attempt, and an exasperated McKay replaced him, too -- with Yarno.
Yarno made his only attempt, nailing an extra point with a straight-on, left-footed boot through the uprights. Just another of the many shining moments in Bucs history, eh?
Bucs Beat is the online destination for Tampa Bay Buccaneer fans interested in the latest news about the team. St. Petersburg Times reporters Rick Stroud, Stephen Holder and Joe Smith will provide regular updates. Readers can comment on players, coaches, the front office - all of it.
Yes, we've had many shining moments. Actually, I miss John Mckay's wit. Who could forget his response after a Monday night trouncing:
Q: What did you think of your offenses execution?
A: I'm all for it.
Posted by: Ron | January 25, 2008 at 04:53 PM
ESPN is reporting that Al Davis has sent a letter of resignation to Lane Kiffin for him to sign, and that Lane has refused. If this ends in Lane's firing, you think he might be the "shocker" Gruden was talking about coming aboard to coach w/ the Bucs? Maybe QB coach?
Posted by: Stephen Blackehart | January 25, 2008 at 07:02 PM
As a student at Washington State and a lifelong Bucs fan, I'm thrilled with Yarno joining the staff. He was an excellent coach here for the Cougs and I wished he would've been retained by new head coach Paul Wulff. I'm glad he's landed on his feet though!
Posted by: Bretterson | January 25, 2008 at 07:07 PM
Glad to hear Yarno landed on his feet here. He was always a different sort of guy than most players. I remember a great story back in '85 about he and his family got around town in a 1968 station wagon - after he'd been playing professionally for 9 years. Modest guy, through and through.
On another note - anyone seen the ESPN article on Davis drafting a resignation letter for Kiffin?
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3214665
Posted by: John P | January 25, 2008 at 08:11 PM
This is pretty cool... I got George Yarno's autograph when I was a kid and he was at one of the "Pick-a-Seat" days at the old Tampa Stadium. Way to go George! Good Luck.
Posted by: Pete O'Connor | January 25, 2008 at 09:10 PM
Hey, Blackheart, it kind of lost in the shuffle of all the Alstott coverage, but we wrote earlier this week that the guy Gruden was talking about was Alstott. He turned the running backs job down because of the time commitment, however. I told Gruden it was messed up that he would tease me by telling me he had big news that was going to shock me and then sending me into a panic trying to scoop him for two days.
Posted by: Stephen_Holder | January 26, 2008 at 02:45 PM
Ron, I've heard that story many times. Cracks me up without fail. I've ever been here a couple years and, sometimes, it seems from a reporter's standpoint I missed the good ol' days.
Posted by: Stephen_Holder | January 26, 2008 at 02:50 PM