The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are cleaning house.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the team has fired coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik, according to a team source. The Buccaneers confirmed the news shortly thereafter.
"The results over the past two years have not lived up to our standards and we believe the time has come to find a new direction," Buccaneers co-chairman Bryan Glazer said in a statement. "Mark has been a valued member of our organization for two decades and we respect the passion he showed for the Buccaneers during his time here.
"We thank Greg for his hard work and effort the past two seasons, but we feel these moves are necessary in order to achieve our goals.
Schiano went 11-21 after coming to Tampa from Rutgers University. The Buccaneers finished 4-4 down the stretch this season, but Rapoport notes the Glazer family believed the team is stocked with talent. If the team closed stronger, the belief was that the pair could have stayed.
Schiano's management style made a lot of headlines throughout his tenure. He famously asked his players to try to force a fumble when opponents lined up in "victory formations." One former Bucs player told NFL Media columnist Michael Silver that playing for the Bucs was like "being in Cuba."
One veteran NFL coach told Silver then: "It's his way or (expletive) you. He needs to back up a little bit, or he's going to have a very hard time in this league over the long haul."
Perhaps Schiano's style would work better in college. Rapoport reports that Penn State is expected to show strong interest in Schiano, according to sources apprised of the situation. Penn State is expecting to lose current coach Bill O'Brien to the NFL.
It's hard to imagine Schiano getting another top NFL job. The one he leaves behind in Tampa should be an attractive position. They have a lot of top-shelf talent, especially on defense where Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David and Darrelle Revis are among the best at their positions. Safeties Dashon Goldson and Mark Barron, running back Doug Martin and wide receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams are all talented players.
Dominik arguably got a raw deal because of the talent on the roster, but GMs are judged on their coaching hires, not just personnel moves. Dominik got two swings at the bat to hire a head coach. Raheem Morris and Schiano did not work out.
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