The Tampa Bay Buccaneers surprisingly fired head coach Lovie Smith back in December. He looked to be bringing the team back to prominence especially after helping the team triple their win total from 2014.
Smith was not out of work for too long, however, as the Illinois Fighting Illini hired him as their new coach just earlier this week. This is his first head coaching job in the collegiate ranks in his career.
It doesn’t, however, look like Smith was too happy about the way his career ended with the Buccaneers. He talked about how he believed there was a plan in place in Tampa Bay on Saturday.
“I definitely think there should be more patience. It takes time,” Smith told the Tampa Bay Times. “If you make a change, there’s something that’s wrong, and you can’t just flip a switch. Things don’t happen overnight. You have to have a plan going in and stick with that plan. When I took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers job, I thought there was a plan in place. I thought that plan was being put into action. When you’re the boss, though, you can be impatient. Normally the franchises that do take their time and give you a chance maintain that level of success.”
The Bucs were looking to be a contender in the NFC South in 2016, especially with quarterback Jameis Winston having an unbelievable rookie season. Now, Lovie Smith is just looking to help turn the Illini around and end his career on a high note.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
