The Buccaneers have already moved on from offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard as well as quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis. More changes are taking place on the team’s staff. 
Tampa Bay has fired special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, as first reported by Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. This news marks an end to his two-year run with the Buccaneers. Issues on special teams presented a consistent challenge in 2025.
Head coach Todd Bowles elected not to make a change during the campaign, but shortly after the end of the season he has chosen to move forward with a replacement. McGaughey, 52, has been a special teams coach at the NFL level as far back as 2002, and he has served as a ST coordinator with five different teams. He had a six-year run with the Giants prior to joining the Bucs, but this brief Tampa Bay tenure falls more in line with McGaughey’s Jets, 49ers and Panthers stints in terms of length.
Not long after the Grizzard dismissal, ESPN’s Jenna Laine noted that discussions taking place Thursday were likely to result in more staff changes. That has certainly proven true. Several other departures have since become known, including the retirement of senior offensive consultant Tom Moore (h/t Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times). Moore’s NFL career ends at the age of 87 after decades spent on the sidelines.
Moore’s first college coaching gig came in 1961, and he began his NFL tenure in 1977. An offensive coordinator at multiple stops along the way, he held multiple titles such as a position coach and offensive consultant as well. Moore worked closely alongside Bruce Arians in Arizona and followed him to Tampa Bay in 2019. The four-time Super Bowl champion remained there through the end of this past season.
As Stroud notes, the Buccaneers have also fired defensive line coach Charlie Strong along with defensive backs coach Kevin Ross. Tampa Bay ranked 20th in points allowed in 2025, so at least some changes on that side of the ball were always expected. Meanwhile, safeties coach Nick Rapone is joining Moore in retirement at the age of 69. Another former Arians assistant, he had been in place with the Bucs since 2019. Regardless of if other moves wind up being made, a number of new faces will be in place on Bowles’ 2026 staff.
Why not just fire Bowles at this point? If you’re going to gut the house there’s no reason to have the structure stand and redo the interior, just gut the whole darn thing!
If they don’t fire him, he should be at least thrown in the Bay!!!
Thought the same thing. He hired the coaches after all. Making them scapegoats I all I see.
Bowles turned this into a full flaming Dumpster Fire!!!
He cant walk on water without heads there to step onto …
Love to see this as a Saints fan.
ST coach needed to go after the Bills and Pats games. The kickoff unit was setting the opponent up at midfield.
Moore retiring does suck, he seemed to mean a lot to Vea and Bucky along with others. They always talked highly of him, but that said I am not sure what he actually did to help the system.
Fundamentals and hard-nosed style but this offense went downhill with Irving hurt. White didnt deliver enough, though his per carry average wasnt bad.
Tom Moore wow. Good for him – talk about doing what you love.