The Bucs have hired a new defensive line coach and it’s someone that is familiar with Tampa. Ian Rapoport from the NFL network is has reported that the Bucs are going to hire Charlie Strong to be their next defensive line coach after Kacy Rodgers departed take the same job with the Lions.
Bucs DL Coach Charlie Strong Has History In Tampa
Bucs DL Coach Charlie Strong – Photo by: USA Today
If you’ve heard of the name Charlie Strong before, that’s because he used to coach at Raymond James Stadium. Strong was the head coach of USF from 2017 to 2019 where he compiled a coaching record of 21-16 and a 1-1 record in Bowl games.
Charlie Strong’s coaching history goes much further than that. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at the University of Florida in 1983 and 1984 and then Texas A&M in 1985. From 1986 to 2009 Strong has had stops at Southern Illinois, Florida on three separate occasions, Ole Miss, Notre Dame and South Carolina.
Strong had various roles in that time that included wide receivers coach, outside linebackers coach, defensive ends coach, associate head coach, defensive line and defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator.
His first head coaching break took place in 2010 when he took over Louisville. In four seasons Strong had a record of 37-15 with the Cardinals and a 20-9 conference record. Louisville went 3-1 in Bowl games under Strong with the highlight of winning the 2013 Sugar Bowl 33-23 over Florida.
Following the 2014 season Strong departed Louisville and was hired by the University of Texas on a five-year deal worth $5 million per season. Things did not go as planned during his time with the Longhorns. He never compiled a winning season at Texas going 16-21 in three years and lost their only Bowl game appearance in the Texas Bowl.
Bucs DL Coach Charlie Strong – Photo by: USA Today
After being let go by Texas he was able to get back on the winning track as head coach of USF. But after a going 4-8 in his third season, he was fired by the Bulls and became a defensive analyst for Alabama the next season in 2020.
Strong does have some coaching experience at the NFL level having been the defensive line coach of the Jaguars in 2021. He was hired by head coach Urban Myer, who was let go before the end of the season due to a myriad of controversies. Strong was not retained when Doug Pederson was hired as head coach the following year.
Back it was to the collegiate ranks for Strong. He was the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Miami in 2022 and once again a defensive analyst for Alabama in 2023, the final year of Nick Saban’s coaching career as the Crimson Tide won the SEC Championship defeating Georgia but then lost to Michigan in overtime at the Rose Bowl during the College Football Semifinal game. Strong did not coach in 2024.
Charlie Strong Has A Great Defensive Line Room With Bucs
If there was any spot to go to when making a return to coaching and on the defensive line, there’s no better spot than the Bucs. Tampa Bay has a fantastic combination up front with veteran nose tackle Vita Vea and up and coming star Calijah Kancey, who his heading into his third season.
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels and Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: USA Today
Vea has been a mainstay on the Bucs’ defensive line for several years being a top level run stopper and developing into a great pass rusher. Vea led the Bucs in 2022 with 6.5 sacks, was third on the team in 2023 with 5.5 and was second on Tampa Bay’s defense in 2024 with seven.
That just trailed Kancey, who led the Bucs with 7.5 despite missing the first five games of the season. Kancey has been an absolute force on the Bucs’ defense and the only thing that has slowed him down over the first two years of his career are injuries in training camp that have kept him out of the opening month of the schedule each time.
Tampa Bay also saw great improvement from Logan Hall, who will be going into a contract yeaer this season. Hall had career bests with 5.5 sacks, which was tied for third on the team along with 28 tackles and six tackles for loss. Hall went all out in the Bucs’ Wildcard game against the Commanders, recording seven tackles.
The defensive tackles were the best group for the Bucs on defense this season. It’ll be up to Strong to get the best out of them once again.
