Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik were fired Monday.
The Buccaneers were 4-12, including an 0-8 start to the 2013 season and lost four of their last five, all by at least 10 points. In 2012, the Buccaneers lost five of their final six games, giving Schiano a 5-18 record since Nov. 25, 2012. He was 11-22 in two seasons.
Dominik was promoted to general manager in 2009, when Jon Gruden was fired and replaced by Raheem Morris. The team had a 28-52 record on Dominik’s watch.
Schiano was hired as Morris’ replacement and inherited first-round pick Josh Freeman as the starting quarterback. But Freeman’s development came to a screeching halt under the disciplinarian and he was benched and ultimately released just two seasons removed from a 4,000-yard season.
The divorce was messy and public, with team sources charging that Freeman failed multiple drug tests, which are restricted health matters under the NFL rule.
The Buccaneers sought Chip Kelly to replace Morris but after deliberating the decision, Kelly stayed at Oregon and left Tampa Bay to go back to the drawing board.
Tampa Bay spent aggressively in free agency, signing wide receiver Vincent Jackson to a five-year, $55 million deal prior to the 2012 season and last offseason acquiring safety Dashon Goldson as a free agent from the San Francisco 49ers with a $40 million deal and trading for injured New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.