Yep. We are officially here.

It’s time to discuss potential head coaching candidates in case the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose to the Carolina Panthers and miss out on the playoffs thanks to a 7-10 record that was assembled via a 1-8 finish over the back nine of the season.

That’s because there’s a very real possibility the Bucs fire Todd Bowles if that happens. It’s been discussed here, plenty, and I still maintain bottoming out and finishing 7-10 is the only way the Glazers fire him.

However, that is now a bonafide reality after Sunday’s ugly loss to the Dolphins and frankly, it’s hard to envision Tampa Bay taking care of business against Carolina. So, let’s go ahead and get a head start and discuss some options in case the you-know-what hits the fan.

What prerequisites are best for Bucs’ head coaching candidates?

Obviously, we’re unsure what the Bucs would look for in a new head coach, so I’ll toss out some personal prerequisites that helped build this list.

An offensive mind is definitely preferred and is the optimal way to go considering offense is the Buccaneers’ strength and great OCs get swiped for head coaching gigs. A defensive coach is OK, but only under the circumstances of it being a young coach who runs a new-look defense similar to the one Mike Macdonald runs in Seattle.

They have to have a fiery personality, as well. Even-keeled coaches only get teams so far – a head coach has to be able to light a fire under his guys at any time and know exactly when do to so.

And lastly, no retreads. Coaches get fired for a reason and retreads rarely work out. Get some fresh blood in Tampa Bay and roll the dice.

OK. Now we can begin.

Top offensive head coach candidates in case the Bucs fire Todd Bowles

Seattle Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak

Positives: Kubiak is the top offensive option on the board, in my opinion. Yes, the Seattle Seahawks have one of the better quarterbacks in the league and a top-5 receiver in Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but it’s important to remember the Seahawks moved on from Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf during the offseason and the offensive line had its fair share of issues all year long. While Kubiak has solid pieces to work with, it’s not like the Seahawks offense is stacked on paper like the Bucs’.

Kubiak has done a really good job with the Seahawks offense. Most importantly, he kept Darnold ascending after his Minnesota experience, which wasn’t guaranteed. That’s not the easiest thing to do for a first-time pairing between OC and QB, but he made it happen.

He’d bring a downfield passing attack largely based off play-action and over-the-middle shots that’s keyed by a wide zone scheme on the ground. All of that would translate to what the Bucs have, now, for the most part, and that’s a big deal.

Negatives: The biggest questions surrounding Kubiak are a) we don’t quite know what his leadership style is like and b) wide zone has yet to be effectively established under him as OC. While Sean Tucker and Bucky Irving (and potentially Rachaad White) can have success in a zone-based rushing attack, the Bucs are more of a power/gap team right now.

When it comes to leadership, he’s coached under Andy Reid, Sean Payton, and Jim Harbaugh. Those are some of the best leaders out there, so one would think leadership wouldn’t be an issue with Kubiak.

The gap/zone scheme discussion is certainly worthwhile, as well. The last thing you want is for good players to be put in positions that don’t maximize their abilities. There’s also the fact Kubiak has failed to get his zone attack up to par in his two years as OC. Yes, the OL issues have played a big part but it’s now been two straight seasons of an inconsistent rushing attack.

Dallas Cowboys OC Klayton Adams

Positives: Adams simultaneously reinvigorated a lame Cowboys rushing attack and turned Javonte Williams into a star in just one year. His varied rushing attack is one of the most unique and effective ground games in the NFL and it’s proven to withstand the test of time as the Cardinals had strong attacks when he led the way in 2023 and 2024.

As we know, the Bucs have all the tools for Adams to work with and establish an effective ground game in Tampa Bay. Especially when considering all five offensive linemen will be healthy and ready to go in 2026. The trickle-down effect from the rushing attack to the passing attack is easy to visualize, but there are some big questions that come with Adams.

i asked Klayton Adams about his willingness to copy successful plays from other teams for the #Cowboys — based on my observations.

his full answer is exceptional: pic.twitter.com/oa99vc3UAR

— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) December 1, 2025

Negatives: For starters, the Cowboys offense is a product of multiple minds. Adams doesn’t call the plays, for one, head coach Brian Schottenheimer does. Then there’s the fact Adams isn’t directly responsible for Dak Prescott and the passing attack’s success.

It seems like a lot for a guy who’s never called plays at the NFL level to all of a sudden become a head coach. The Tennessee Titans tried that with Brian Callahan recently and we saw how that played out. Yes, those are two completely different rosters in the Titans and Bucs, but the point remains.

Adams may need one more year, but there’s a lot to like, already, and it may be worth the dice roll on the Bucs’ end to go ahead and lock him up.

Who are the top defensive guys?

Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula

Positives: Sure, it might be a bit ironic seeing Shula’s name here the morning after the Atlanta Falcons hung 27 points on his defense. Still, It’s been remarkable to see what he’s done with the Rams defense over the last couple of years since Aaron Donald retired after the 2023 season. He’s been able to turn the defense into one of the NFL’s with a ton of young players, which only adds to the impressive run.

Shula’s defense is of the modern variety and is based in 3-4 principles with a lot of zone played behind in the back end. He doesn’t blitz a lot and is all about getting home with four guys and mixing it up in the secondary post-snap in order to help the pass rush get there. That would undoubtedly be a breath of fresh air after enduring Todd Bowles’ blitz-heavy approach since 2019.

He’s also just 39 years old. There’s zero doubt in my mind he’d bring in anyone other than a young, contemporary mind to run the offense who would also likely come from the McVay/Shanahan tree. That’s something to get excited about, as well.

Negatives: This doesn’t have to do with Shula, himself, but it still warrants mentioning how bringing in a defensive-oriented coach certainly has its drawbacks. There’s the deal with good OCs getting swiped at any moment and then defensive guys typically are a lot more conservative when it comes to managing in-game situations.

Los Angeles Chargers DC Jesse Minter

Positives: Minter is the prototype when it comes to new-age defensive schemes. He hails from the Mike Macdonald tree that believes in allowing the defensive front to set the tone and the secondary to confuse the hell out of opposing signal callers by constantly mixing up coverages.

The best part about Minter’s current work with the Chargers defense is he doesn’t have a lot of big names to run with. Khalil Mack is easily the most recognizable, but he’s almost in his mid-30s and isn’t anywhere near the player he once was. He keeps LA’s defense humming through his scheme and play-calling, which are very enticing traits to look into.

He’s also come up under both Harbaugh brothers, so he certainly knows how to lead and build a franchise the correct way.

The Chargers are the only defense with more interceptions (19) than passing TDs allowed (16) this season ?

LA and Houston are tied for the lowest opponent passer rating allowed through 17 weeks (74.8) pic.twitter.com/POLcZkzsEB

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) December 29, 2025

Negatives: The same things mentioned with Shula apply here with Minter and while he runs a solid scheme, it’ll be interesting to see how he tweaks his defenses in the future.

That’s because more and more teams are starting to shift into using heavier personnel on offense (two or more tight ends) to combat the rise of nickel defenses in the NFL. That’s pushed the defenses that run lighter boxes, like Minter’s, to change things up a bit. Minter, meanwhile, has remained steadfast in using light boxes due to the guys he has on the roster.

Meaning, Minter’s defenses could begin to wane without adjustments. That’ll be a conversation for him and Jason Licht to have, for sure, if this comes to fruition.

Final Word

Again, this is all hypothetical, but it’s worth bringing up at this point in time. Right now, these are the four best options in this vacuum. We’ll see what happens on both Saturday but also Black Monday, because there will be plenty more names to parse through if Bowles is fired + whatever coaches are unfortunately let go that day.

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