Buccaneers fire offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski

Jeff Jagodzinski has been fired as the Bucs offensive coordinator. Quarterbacks coach Greg Olson has been promoted to the post.

The news is  a shock, coming just more than a week before the start of the regular season.

Jagodzinski never coached a regular season game with the Bucs, having been hired in February.

There was no reason offered by the team in its announcement, but coach Raheem Morris will hold a news conference at noon to take questions on the move.

“I am certainly disappointed but I wish nothing but the best for Raheem Morris and the entire Buccaneer organization," Jagodzinski said in a statement. "I was given the chance to remain on staff as the quarterbacks coach, but felt that the timing for such a move was not in the best interest for either side. I appreciate the opportunity that was given to me. Again, I wish nothing but the best for this organization.”

Jagodzinski was fired from his post as head coach at Boston College in January when he ignored an order from the school and interviewed with the New York Jets for their vacant head coaching position.

Jagodzinski was present for the team's practice on Wednesday and there did not appear to be an indication anything was amiss, making this news all the more unexpected. He spent his six months on the job installing the team's new offense, and a chief question now becomes how his dismissal will affect how it's run.

Former Bucs coach Jon Gruden seemed as stunned as everyone else by the news that the Bucs had fired Jagodzinski on Thursday morning, just 10 days before the start of the 2009 season.

"I was obviously surprised,'' Gruden said. "I was fired by the (Bucs) so I'm sensitive to that. It's a strange situation. Tampa Bay has a lot of really good players on offense. ... This is strange. This is uncommon. All I read is how excited they were about the acquisition of coach Jags. Obviously they feel they have somebody in-house to take the reins. I do know they don’t have a lot of time, and I certainly wish them the best.''

While surprised by the news, Gruden did have good things to say about Olson, who was promoted from quarterbacks coach to replace Jagodzinski. Gruden hired Olson to coach the Bucs quarterbacks in January of 2008.

"I think Greg is an excellent coach and I was very fortunate to hire him,'' Gruden said. "He has a vast amount of experience. He was in St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco and Purdue. He has coached some young quarterbacks -- Drew Brees, Rex Grossman, Joey Harrington. He's a hard-working guy, very smart.''

Perhaps a positive note is that running backs coach and close Jagodzinski friend Steve Logan remains. Logan has been with Jagodzinski at multiple coaching stops and was his offensive coordinator at Boston College. He was intimately involved installing the offense and even has influence on playcalling.

[Times photo | Daniel Wallace]

Comments

[Joe Simmons (Slow Joe)]

WTH!?! What on Earth happened?!? I thought everything was going fine. You know that this is a very bad sign. So far Raheem Morris' administration has seen indecision with the QBs, changing of the very successful defensive scheme, and now a right-before-the season firing of the offensive coordinator.

Sheesh. I hope there are least some hot girls seated near my new season ticket seats.

[Chris S]

WOW! Where do I get my season ticket refund? This is turning into a real mess.

[mm]

So the assistants he hired, do they go too?

This team is soooo f'ed up!

[Dick Weed]

You must be "slow" to have bought season tickets. This head coach is a joke. The fans and players have no confidence in him.

[Mr.Fabulous]

Eeee gad. What might've been a 4-12 team now goes 2-14. Brace yourself, folks. Maybe the team should wear throw-backs all year.

[sucs?]

hahahahaha....what a cohesive, well-run team the sucs have.hahahahahahaha......what a display of management skills by DAHEEM...just accept your weekly beat downs and learn to take it and squeel, squeel, squeel....

[Leo In Canada]

The nightmare continues!

[OAR]

Wow, wonder if he was butting heads with Raheem and Jag's “the qb position is not his decision”, answer after last preseason game?

[buccaneermark]

this is what happens when you give the keys of the car to your kids. and where are the gruden haters now??? bet he is getting a good laugh on MNF

[Jim M.]

And to think I was pleased by the firing of Gruden after last season's debacle. Wow, Rah, what's going on with your team? I thought we were going to have a rough go of it BEFORE this happened. This season could be an unmitigated disaster.

[GTSkyrider]

Just BREATHE!!!!! We'll see what happens, the team might respond to Olsen better than Jags...none of us are flys on the wall. Kickoff is only days away...if you're a true Buccaneer fan...all hands on deck baby!!!!

[G. Michael Reynolds]

WHA!!?! I feel like I've been doing pretty good in not panicking so far, esp. given that we had OC and DC with good pedigrees. I think that resolve may have just gone out the window.

[Burgman727]

This is some real bs. How in the h*** do you get the fans amped up about the possibilities of his Offensive scheme (in which the run was starting to look real good) and then fire him. This is my team and I love the Bucs to death, but the Glazers as a whole need to sell and get the h*** out of dodge. They are killing our franchise and it's fan base!

[Dspkable]

LOL, now fans were in love with a guy that never called a single regular season play for the BUCS. I only care about the guys on the sideline on Sundays wearing the same colors I have on. NEWFLASH: a coach was fired from the team before the season started (again)... This is like the fifth one so don't act like the team won't play without Jagodzinski calling the plays.

Greg Olson has picked up as a offensive coordinator for almost every team he has been with before now. A team fires the O-coordinator and Greg comes steps in and calls the plays. He is a journeyman 2nd string play caller. Hey wait, that sounds like our QB's too :)

I still thing the Broncos have it far worse than us.

[kris]

OAR - I think you hit the nail right on the head. That was the first thing I was thinking too.

[Dick Weed]

Moron.....I'll bet the Broncos have more wins. You on?

[jerseybuc]

Jags had planned on running an offense with a mobile QB, but Raheem, or someone else in the FO had other ideas. I think this is related to the "winner" of the QB contest.
We are now officially a team out of control, and the season hasn't even started.

[mynewsviews]

Raheem needs to be the one who's fired! It becomes clearer everyday He has no clue when it comes ro running a team!
so now we have a flawed roster, a bad kicker, a QB with the longest wind up in the History of the NFL,and a new offecnsive coordinator....2 weeks before the season starts! Bring on the TV Blackouts!

[Go Long]

get off it. It wasn't the QB decision. This is going to be great to watch. WHAT A TRAIN WRECK! Way to go Glasers.

[G. Michael Reynolds]

Dspkable-who was Olson OC for previously?

[DK]

Why the attacks on Morris without even knowing the details. I'm not a fan of Morris, nor a detractor. Way too early to be either. We don't know what happened. Let the truth come out before we attack. Jags does not have the best record as far as being forthright and a team player, so this may have been necessary and justified, or it may not have been. We simply don't know yet.

[Go Long]

So let me get this straight - the Bucs are now going back to the offense they have been running for years under Gruden? Oh this is is too good! Hollywood can't write this stuff. Bucs are officially a complete dissaster.

[mm]

Definitely not the QB situation. Freeman will be the starter by midseason regardless.

[Jack]

Probably wanted to fire his sure SUCCESSOR after week 8 when Raheems fired. I can't Jagodzinski wanting to start slo mo retread Leftwich-Mccown won that job. I guess Bates will be the head coach unless Raheem fires him first.

[mm]

Dspkable-who was Olson OC for previously?

Posted by: G. Michael Reynolds | September 03, 2009 at 10:51 AM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
St. Louis

[Byron]

Either Morris fired the wrong guy or is a knucklehead for firing him. Either way it's on him. He's a joke who is the head coach on the cheep who will take direction from an ownership that is broke from doing business with their family friend Bernie Maydoff. Unlimited gullibility is not a requirement to be a Bucs fan. They've destroyed everything that was built from 1996-2006. 10 years of goodwill down the tubes.

[Kurt]

Jagz probably called him out for being the racist clown that he is for starting Leftwich without his blessing!

[G. Michael Reynolds]

Oh yes. Olson was Detroit's OC. This is NOT good. I hope to God they left someone behind who can successfully run the zone block...the players gotta be pretty nonplussed about this.

[Dick Weed]

It's clear the decision was racially motivated.

[G. Michael Reynolds]

Mort just posted on Twitter: "The firing of Bucs OC Jeff Jagodzinski may seem abrupt but there have been rumblings back to off-season workouts that all was not kosher."

[jerseybuc]

If you don't think this is related to the QB situation you are clueless.

[OAR]

Big whoop Olsen was Detriots play caller, when Mooch delegated play calling to him in 2005(half way thru season). He was also off coord in St Louis in 2006-07(which did have high off ranks(losing win-loses though), but lets be honest our offense and that Rams offense are not even close!

[Mark]

The problem isn't that a coach got fired, the problem is that it doesn't appear our boy Rah has any idea on the direction of this team, and as the head coach it is his team. He's in way over his head and anyone that says otherwise is in denial. Like Gruden or hate Gruden...that doesn't matter. The Bucs did not make a move in the right direction in hiring this clown.

[Matt H]

Clearly this is QB related.

If it wasn't a Leftwich/McCown debate Jagodzinski probably said that Freeman looked like a bust on Thursday, so Morris canned him.

Our Running Backs, Wideouts and Tight Ends were running rampant over Miami in that 1st Quarter this is a big step backwards.

[bucfaninphx]

wow...this cant be good with the season about to start.....

[OAR]

I think Im beginning to know how the Lions fans felt last year!

[G. Michael Reynolds]

Yah OAR, I was just thinking that this feels like Rams/49ers over the last few years.

[Matt H]

There is no way in hell we'll get the truth at the press conference either.

[Byron]

I'm not disposed to call racist easily but there sure seems to be a strange overtone to the events at One Buc. It's either that or an authority thing for Morris. Obviously he's behind the 8 ball in getting anyone to take him seriously. In any case, this is all on the ownership. They made the mess to save money. Sell that damn soccer team or the Bucs. You don't have the capital for both.

[mm]

Someone said on Twitter that the Bucs offered to keep him on as QB coach and he declined.

[mm]

Maybe Gruden will hire him to set lunch appointments.

[Jack]

enuff with the Broheem comments

[Matt H]

Someone should let Morris know that Jagodzinski didn't count against the 53 man roster.

[OAR]

I think we found out who the "YES" man is.

[mm]

Can we get Deckerhoff to shout out
"Fire those Coordinators!"

[John]

I'm coming home to Tampa in November & I plan to go to the Green Bay game - looks like there will be plenty of tickets available.....

[goBUCS69]

....this just in...hot off the wire

The Bucs are the new Oakland Raiders

[kenm]

I see this as good news. When you're in for a long year with your team, the more off-the-field drama the better, I say. And seriously, better for Raheem to have fired Jags now than in 8 weeks. I like the fact that he doesn't seem to care how bad some of his decisions make him look if he thinks its the right decision. That's a good quality. It doesn't mean he can coach a damn, but it's something.

[JimMck]

This is what you get for hiring on the cheap a non experienced head coach who already seems like he does not know what the heck he is doing. Will be loooong year!!!

[Kurt]

The Bucs are finally showing that this is all about ownership wanting "Yes Men" and not coaches or players. The Glazers actually think that they can fool everyone, but now they are being terribly exposed. They still haven't come off that pile of cash that we need to make a good team. We are starting 19 of 22 players which were on the team last year for crying out loud! This isn't rebuilding, it's chincing-out! If they had spent the extra $40 Million last year we wouldn't be having this conversation because we would have had quality back-ups, won the division and still had our Superbowl winning, 4 time division champion, winningest coach in Buccaneer history. Instead, (in my opinion) we've got this racist, yes man, Raheem the Dream and a his bunch of gypsies leading us into no-man's land. Oh well, guess I'll have to turn in my season tickets next year!