FEBRUARY 12: Pitcher will remain in Cincinnati, per Garafolo (via Twitter). It appears that Pitcher’s second interview with the Bucs went well, and he was clearly considered a top candidate, but he will return to the Bengals and will presumably be a name to watch during next year’s OC searches.
FEBRUARY 6: When Dan Pitcher‘s new deal with the Bengals was reported, it seemed as though his name as a potential OC candidate (at least outside of the organization) would be scratched off the list of interested teams. Cincinnati’s quarterbacks coach could still be available for an outside hire, however. 
Tampa Bay is set to hold a second interview with Pitcher for their offensive coordinator vacancy, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (video link). Unlike his first meeting, this one will be in person, and will take place this week, Garafolo adds. Having just been extended, many presumed Pitcher’s only opportunity to take on an OC role would be in Cincinnati, in the event Brian Callahan were to receive a head coaching gig.
The Buccaneers have cast a wide net in their search for their Byron Leftwich replacement. The team struggled on offense in general and on the ground in particular in 202, leading to internal strife between Leftwich, head coach Todd Bowles and quarterback Tom Brady. With the latter now retired, Tampa Bay is looking for a new OC while dealing with plenty of uncertainty under center.
Picher, 36, interviewed for the first time with the Buccaneers last month. That preceded the news of his new deal with the Bengals, with whom he has worked since 2016. Picher has been the team’s top QBs coach for the past three seasons, and has played a key role in helping Joe Burrow become one of the top passers in the league. His work will likely lead to further OC interest in the near future, even if this second meeting with Tampa Bay does not yield what would be a surprising move to the NFC South.
With Pitcher set to interview for a second time, here is an updated look at the Bucs’ OC search:
- 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
- Kellen Moore, former offensive coordinator (Cowboys): mentioned as candidate
- Dan Pitcher, quarterbacks coach (Bengals): Interviewed 1/27; extended by Bengals; conducted second interview with Bucs but will remain with Bengals
- Shea Tierney, quarterbacks coach (Giants): Interviewed 1/31
I’ll never understand why teams jump to hire these QB coaches with immensely talented QBs thinking that they did anything but coddle the talent. Burrow could make Matt Patricia look like a good offensive coach….
I don’t blame you (and I hate it even more when it’s OCs getting HC jobs because they did so well with QBs who were already hall of famers, like Gase, McAdoo, or Hackett), but this is also an offseason with 13 OC changes, so a longtime but young assistant from a stable team and a respected coaching tree is going to get a look.
There’s something to be said for not firing your offensive coordinator the same year everyone else does… Oh god, did I just defend not firing Matt Canada?
I agree to a point I guess. I still don’t think you can grasp how good of an offensive mind a guy is whenever his 3 years as QB coach he’s had Joe Burrow. And the year Burrow got hurt, not that its really Pitcher’s fault, but they didn’t do well.
That’s all true, but I think we overestimate how much of this stuff we can figure out from the outside anyway. We can only judge him by who he’s worked with or under. Of course, interviews famously lead to bad hires across fields, and we all know cronyism is a huge problem in the NFL, so I guess it’s easy to see why it’s so hard to get these hires right.
Yeah true that, I’m just a spanky on my computer who thinks I know more than I do. I think the hiring process is just ludicrous, and most selections are nepotism, or like you said cronyism.
Hey, both things can be true. It’s easy to be snarky from the outside when those on the inside make so many choices that turn out to be full blown wacky.