Sports

Buccaneers on the hunt for a new offensive coordinator to replace Liam Coen.

Published

3 days ago

January 27, 2025

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (88) celebrates his touchdown catch against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

By: Bucs Report – Special to Sports Talk Florida

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expediting their search for Liam Coen’s successor, with three potential candidates now linked to the team’s vacant offensive coordinator position.

The Buccaneers have taken steps to fill their offensive coordinator vacancy, conducting virtual interviews with two candidates:

– Marcus Brady, Chargers’ passing game coordinator, on Saturday.
– Grant Udinsky, Vikings’ assistant quarterbacks coach, also on Saturday.

Additionally, the Buccaneers have submitted an interview request to Nate Scheelhaase, Rams’ offensive assistant.

Before launching his NFL coaching career in 2018, Marcus Brady amassed extensive experience in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He held offensive coordinator positions with the Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts, achieving notable success with three Grey Cup championships.

Brady then transitioned to the NFL, spending three seasons (2018-2020) as the Indianapolis Colts’ quarterbacks coach. His expertise earned him a promotion to offensive coordinator, a role he filled in 2021 and 2022.

Marcus Brady, 45, brings a wealth of experience to the table. Prior to his current role as passing game coordinator with the Los Angeles Chargers, Brady served as a senior offensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023.

This offseason, the Chargers underwent significant coaching changes with the arrival of Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman. One notable outcome was the improved performance of quarterback Justin Herbert, who achieved a league-best interception rate of 0.6%. Brady’s contributions to this success earned him recognition, including an interview with the New England Patriots for their offensive coordinator position earlier this month.

Grant Udinski launched his college coaching career in 2019 and later transitioned to the NFL, following Matt Rhule from Baylor to the Carolina Panthers. After a two-year stint with the Panthers, Udinski joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 as part of Kevin O’Connell’s inaugural staff.

Over the past two seasons, the 28-year-old Udinski has served as an assistant quarterbacks coach, and in 2024, he assumed the additional title of assistant offensive coordinator, expanding his responsibilities within the Vikings’ coaching hierarchy.

Grant Udinski was previously considered for the New England Patriots’ offensive coordinator position, engaging in discussions before the team ultimately opted to reunite with Josh McDaniels. Additionally, Udinski remains a finalist for the Seattle Seahawks’ vacant offensive coordinator role, having completed a second interview last week.

As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers consider Udinski for their own offensive coordinator position, they may face competition from the Seahawks, depending on how each team assesses his candidacy during this hiring cycle. Notably, unlike Marcus Brady, Udinski lacks prior experience as a coordinator.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers appeared to have secured Liam Coen’s services for 2025 and beyond, having agreed to a new deal earlier in the week. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ sudden dismissal of general manager Trent Baalke altered the landscape. Coen subsequently met with the Jaguars for a second time and was ultimately hired as their new head coach.

As a result, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles finds himself in need of another new offensive coordinator this offseason. The outcome of this latest search will be intriguing to watch, as Bowles seeks to fill the void left by Coen’s departure.

Follow, Like and Subscribe to Bucs Report

BucsReport.com

For more on this and everything Buccaneers check back here hourly at BucsReport.com

Source link

Sports

Rays and free agent infielder Ha-Seong Kim agree to 2-year deal worth $29 million, AP source says

Published

6 hours ago

January 30, 2025

Austin Reed

San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (7) in the ninth inning of a baseball game, Aug. 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, file)

The Tampa Bay Rays and free agent Ha-Seong Kim have agreed to a two-year contract valued at $29 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been announced. ESPN first reported the agreement.

Kim, who played his first four seasons in the majors with the San Diego Padres and won a Gold Glove in 2023, will be paid $13 million this year. He also could earn $2 million in performance bonuses — $10,000 per plate appearance starting at 326 through 525.

Kim has a $16 million player option for 2026.

The 29-year-old infielder from South Korea tore the labrum in his right shoulder on Aug. 18 and needed season-ending surgery. He hit .233 with 11 homers and 22 stolen bases in the final season of a $28 million, four-year contract.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Source link

Sports

Tampa earns the No. 1 spot in the USA Lacrosse Magazine’s preseason rankings.

Published

13 hours ago

January 30, 2025

Austin Reed

Tampa earns the No. 1 spot in the USA Lacrosse Magazine’s initial rankings. After earning the program’s highest final ranking in 2024 following a National Championship title, the team garners its highest-ever preseason ranking in any poll at No. 1 surpassing the previous mark at No. 4.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL OF THE SPARTANS NEWS

Tampa is the No. 1 team in the USA Lacrosse Division II Women’s Preseason Top 20, USA Lacrosse Magazine announced Tuesday.

When Tampa put the final touches on its 13-8 win over Adelphi in the 2024 NCAA championship game, the Spartans became the fourth straight first-time champion in Division II. And they were certainly deserving.

The defending national champs are the popular choice among Division II coaches as the preseason No. 1, with returning talent throughout the lineup. Peyton Howell and Sophi Wrisk return to lead the offense, with Lexi Waters and Delaney Stahrr back as the defensive anchors.

While it’s still to be seen how the changes for 2025 ‑ an expanded NCAA tournament field of 24 teams and automatic berths for conference champions ‑ will impact the parity, what is known is that Tampa begins the new season right where it left off last year, sitting at the top of the national rankings.

Led by midfielders Maggie Schipfer and Megan Bunker, No. 2 Regis has a strong group returning from last year’s final-four team. A sixth straight RMAC title and another deep NCAA run won’t be surprising in 2025.

No. 3 Florida Southern battled Tampa three times last year, with those games decided by a combined four goals. The margin between these two Sunshine State Conference foes is usually razor-thin, and that’s likely to be the case again this spring.

No. 4 Pace, which was undefeated until the NCAA regional final in 2024, must replace national player of the year Angelina Porcello in the midfield as well as first-team All-America defender Alexandra Quinn, but the Setters welcome back All-America goalie Sami Tanguay.

Rounding out the top five, West Chester has some key losses from last year’s regional final squad, most notably midfielder Hannah Stanislawczyk, the program’s all-time scoring leader. The return of midfielder Keri Barnett, who missed all of 2024 due to an injury, should help.

Preseason rankings are compiled by USA Lacrosse Magazine staff and contributors with consultation from college coaches.

Source link

Sports

Top ranked University of Tampa baseball team is set to defend their World Series title.

Published

14 hours ago

January 30, 2025

Austin Reed

TAMPA, Fla. – The National Championship University of Tampa Baseball team is the pre-season #1 ranked team in the nation and is set to host a top-15 matchup to open up the season. The top-ranked Spartans celebrate the start of the 2025 season as we honor the 2024 national championship team and raise the championship flag, celebrating their ninth national championship in program history.

FOR ALL THINGS SPARTANS – CLICK HERE

Matchup: #1 Tampa vs. #13 Georgia College

Times:

Friday, Jan. 31, 6:00 P.M.

Saturday, Feb. 1, 3:00 P.M.

Sunday, Feb. 2, 12:00 P.M.

Tampa

The Spartans are back on the diamond this Friday at 6 pm. Tampa is seeking its 10^th national championship and 24^th regular season SSC championship. The Spartans are pre-season ranked #1 in the nation and #1 in the SSC. This is Tampa’s 10^th pre-season ranked at #1, 27^th consecutive preseason ranked inside the Top 15, 21^st pre-season ranked inside the Top 5, and 12^th consecutive pre-season ranked inside the Top 3. The Spartans have 15 returning national champions, including All-American and National Pitcher of the Year Skylar Gonzalez, 17 transfers, including University of Miami transfer J.D. Urso, son of National Coach of the Year Joe Urso, and four true freshmen. Tampa will take the field for the first time Friday since winning their 9^th national championship in program history over Angelo State in a historic 2024 season. Before hosting a three-game series with #13 Georgia College, the Spartans will honor the 2024 national championship team and raise the championship flag on Friday, Jan. 31^st.

Georgia College

The Bobcats finished their 2024 campaign with a 37-22 record and 2^nd in the Peach Belt Conference before losing to No. 9 Catawba in the Southeast Super Regionals. Georgia College is preseason ranked #13 in the nation and look to play spoiler to start the season with a three-game set against the #1 Tampa Spartans.

Live stats for all games this week can be found at Tampastats.com. 

Live broadcasts for all games this week can be found at TampaSpartans.tv.