New Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano is struggling to put a coaching staff together, according to league sources.
The former Rutgers coach, who was hired by the Buccaneers about a month after their regular season ended, has been blocked from interviewing another top offensive coordinator candidate. This time around, according to sources, it was Green Bay Packers tight ends coach Ben McAdoo.
The Packers lost offensive coordinator Joe Philbin during the offseason when he became the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements was then promoted to take Philbin's place. McAdoo is in line to replace Clements as quarterbacks coach, though that position is still far removed in terms of pay and title from the offensive coordinator position.
Previously this offseason, Green Bay blocked Philbin from interviewing McAdoo for the offensive coordinator position in Miami. McAdoo's situation illustrates the frustrations of many top position coaches throughout the NFL, whose upward mobility and earning potential can be significantly weakened by the current rules regarding interviews and promotions.
Schiano recently lost out on his top choice for offensive coordinator when the Arizona Cardinals refused to let then-wide receivers coach John McNulty interview with the Bucs. McNulty eventually was promoted to quarterbacks coach.
Schiano could end up in a position where he has to hire a number of his former staff from Rutgers. The overall inexperience of the staff under former coach Raheem Morris was a big issue for Tampa and led to his eventual departure. It led to Tampa beginning its coaching search by interviewing almost exclusively veteran NFL coaches with significant pro head coaching experience.
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