The Bucs announced several changes to their coaching staff on Friday. The biggest revelation was the re-hiring of Mike Caldwell, who will serve as the team’s inside linebackers coach once again. Caldwell joined Tampa Bay’s coaching staff with Todd Bowles when Bowles was the defensive coordinator under Bruce Arians in 2019. Caldwell helped the Bucs win Super Bowl LV in 2020 and left after the 2021 season to become the defensive coordinator in Jacksonville for 2022-23.
Larry Foote had been serving as the team’s inside linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator since Caldwell’s departure in 2021. Prior to that, he served as Tampa Bay’s outside linebackers coach from 2019-2021 where he helped develop Shaq Barrett into a two-time Pro Bowler.
Bucs pass game coordinator George Edwards and head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
In 2019, Barrett’s first season with the Bucs, he set the franchise single-season sack record with 19.5 sacks, which led the league that year. Jason Pierre-Paul also had a Pro Bowl season under Foote’s tutelage in 2020 with a team-leading 9.5 sacks.
This is a welcomed move as the entire outside linebacker room underwhelmed last year with a combined 12 sacks under George Edwards, who coached the position for the past two seasons. Edwards is no longer a position coach in Tampa Bay and has been moved to the role of pass game coordinator on defense.
Edwards had come under fire from Pewter Report this past season for the failure to develop young outside linebackers like Yaya Diaby, Chris Braswell, Jose Ramirez and Markees Watts.
Foote, who previously held that role in addition to coaching inside linebackers, will now be the run game coordinator on defense. Departed defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers had that title last year.
Mike Caldwell Has His Hands Full In Return To Bucs
Mike Caldwell is a veteran inside linebackers coach and his experience will be put to good use in 2025 in his return to Tampa Bay. The Bucs may or may not have 35-year old Lavonte David back this season depending on whether he wants to retire or keep playing. The Bucs are expected to move on from free agent K.J. Britt, who was the other starter for most of the year.
Bucs ILBs coach Mike Caldwell – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
SirVocea Dennis returns and could contend for a starting job, but has only played in a handful games in his two years in Tampa Bay due to injury. Deion Jones and Antonio Grier Jr. are the other linebackers on the roster and the team will need to significantly upgrade the position this offseason in free agency or the 2025 NFL Draft – or both.
Caldwell most recently worked as the run game coordinator/linebackers coach for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024, following a two-year stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars as defensive coordinator (2022-23). In 2022, the Jaguars defense finished first in the NFL in passes defensed (95) and tied for fourth in takeaways (27) under Caldwell’s guidance.
Prior to Jacksonville, Caldwell spent the previous three seasons with the Buccaneers (2019-21) as inside linebackers coach, where he coached David to second-team All-Pro recognition and Devin White to both Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors during that span. During his three seasons in this role, Caldwell instructed a linebacker group that played a key part in the NFL’s top rush defense over that span, allowing only 82.5 rushing yards per game and 3.72 yards per carry.
In 2020, Caldwell coached David and White to a Super Bowl LV title, finishing the season with an 11-5 record and leading the league in rush defense (80.6 rush yards allowed per game) for the second consecutive season. David averaged 112.3 tackles per season with Caldwell as his position coach and contributed 27 tackles for loss, 16 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles, 4.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions in that timeframe.
Before his first stint with the Buccaneers, he held defensive roles with the New York Jets (2015-18), Arizona Cardinals (2013-14) and Philadelphia Eagles (2008-2012). Caldwell began his coaching career as a training camp intern for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007 before holding multiple roles on their staff from 2008-12. Prior to coaching, the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, native played 11 seasons at linebacker for the Cleveland Browns (1993-95), Baltimore Ravens (1996), Arizona Cardinals (1997), Philadelphia Eagles (1998-2001), Chicago Bears (2002) and Carolina Panthers (2003).
Bucs Announce Other Coaching Moves
Bucs DL Coach Charlie Strong – Photo by: USA Today
The Bucs officially announced the hiring of new defensive line coach Charlie Strong on Friday. He replaces Kacy Rodgers, who took a similar position in Detroit as his contract was up at the end of the year. Pewter Report had previously reported that news.
Tampa Bay also announced the hiring of new pass game coordinator on offense, Kefense Hynson, who replaces Josh Grizzard in that role on offense. Pewter Report had also previously reported that news. Grizzard was promoted from pass game coordinator to offensive coordinator this offseason with Liam Coen taking the head coaching job with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The team also made the promotion of Kevin Carberry to run game coordinator/offensive line coach and Brian Picucci to full-time offensive line coach official. Picucci was the team’s assistant offensive line coach last year. Jeff Kastl has been promoted to assistant tight ends coach and Jordan Somerville was promoted to pass game specialist/assistant quarterbacks coach.
