Scottie Montgomery recently accepted a position as the Lions’ running backs coach, but teams are still considering the veteran assistant for higher-profile gigs.
The Buccaneers’ lengthy offensive coordinator search now includes a 10th interview; Montgomery met with the team about its play-calling post Monday. The Bucs have been looking for an OC since firing Byron Leftwich on Jan. 19.
This is not Montgomery’s first time on the NFL OC radar. He interviewed twice for the Panthers job last year, but the team hired Ben McAdoo. It would make sense if the Panthers circled back to Montgomery, now that Frank Reich is in place as head coach. Reich hired Montgomery to his Colts staff in 2021, and he stayed on through season’s end under Jeff Saturday. Thus far, the Panthers have not been connected to Montgomery.
A former head coach at East Carolina, Montgomery coached the Steelers’ wide receivers from 2010-12. That period produced the Antonio Brown breakout and Emmanuel Sanders‘ early emergence, and Montgomery oversaw Jonathan Taylor‘s runaway rushing title in 2021. The Colts offered Montgomery their play-calling role this past season, but like Scott Milanovich, the running backs coach turned Saturday down. That led to assistant QBs coach Parks Frazier calling Indianapolis’ plays for the second half of the season.
Montgomery, 44, has never been an NFL play-caller. Neither have five of the other coaches in the running for Tampa Bay’s OC position. The Bucs are still sorting through this process; second interviews have begun. Rams assistant Thomas Brown will interview for a second time Wednesday. Here is how the Bucs’ OC search looks as of Monday night:
- Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): To conduct second interview 2/15
- Dave Canales, quarterbacks coach (Seahawks): To interview
- Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed 1/26
- Ronald Curry, passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Saints): Interviewed 1/31
- Pep Hamilton, offensive coordinator (Texans): Declined interview request
- Klint Kubiak, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Interviewed 1/26
- Keenan McCardell, wide receivers coach (Vikings): Interviewed 1/26
- Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Georgia): Interviewed 1/31
- Scottie Montgomery, running backs coach (Lions): Interviewed 2/13
- Kellen Moore, former offensive coordinator (Cowboys): mentioned as candidate
- Dan Pitcher, quarterbacks coach (Bengals): Interviewed 1/27; conducted second interview with Bucs but will remain with Bengals
- Shea Tierney, quarterbacks coach (Giants): Interviewed 1/31
Nice dumpster fire move of now interviewing a guy after he has just taken a job. I hear Josh McDaniels might want the job in TB. I don’t think he cares that he has a job either. Might even help them get Brady back and avoid the giant dead cap hit.
By the time Tampa, makes up its mind who they want to bring in – they’ll have to start another round of interviews bc everyone currently on the list will have been hired by other Teams!