Tampa, FL (My Sportsbook) - The
Tampa Bay Buccaneers have dismissed offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, who has now lost two jobs within the same calendar year.
Jagodzinski was named the Bucs' offensive coordinator on January 29, less than a month after being fired as head coach at Boston College. He was dismissed at BC after interviewing for the head coaching position with the New York Jets. Boston College athletic director Gene DeFilippo had told Jagodzinski he would be fired if he met with NFL personnel.
"I am certainly disappointed but I wish nothing but the best for [head coach] Raheem Morris and the entire Buccaneer organization," said Jagodzinski in a statement. "I was given the chance to remain on staff as the quarterbacks coach, but felt that the timing for such a move was not in the best interest for either side. I appreciate the opportunity that was given to me. Again, I wish nothing but the best for this organization."
Morris said the move was made, in part, because the offense wasn't as "precise" as he wanted it to be and that the decision had nothing to do with Byron Leftwich's selection as the starting quarterback.
"We all came to a common accord last week when we made Byron Leftwich our quarterback," Morris said Thursday. "We needed more direction, we needed more precision and I wasn't getting it at the time. So you make the change, and that's where we are."
The Bucs promoted quarterbacks coach Greg Olson to the offensive coordinator's position on Thursday. He will also retain his post as quarterbacks coach.
Olson joined the Bucs as the QB coach in 2008 and was retained when Morris was given the head coach's job in January. Olson previously served as an offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions in 2005 and the St. Louis Rams from 2006-07.
"He's called plays in this league for awhile," Morris added. "[He's] been back and forth, been through the grind, been through everything we need to get done, knows where we want to go, very detailed coach, very precise coach and that's where we want to go on offense if we're going to have any success."
Jagodzinski was hoping to make a return to the NFL after a two-year stint as the head coach at BC. He compiled a 21-7 record with the Eagles.
Before taking the collegiate head job, Jagodzinski was the offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers in 2006. He also coached the tight ends for the Packers from 1999-2003 and spent the 2004 and 2005 campaigns with the Atlanta Falcons, first as tight ends coach and then as offensive line coach.
"It's not a knock on Coach Jagodzinski," Morris stated. "It's just what we needed to do, the plan we needed to have, and a lot of things remain the same. This offense was going in the right direction and you've got to give Jagodzinski credit. He did get it started going in the right direction; now we've got to finish off the deal with some of our other guys."
Jagodzinski becomes the second offensive coordinator fired in the NFL this week, following Kansas City's Chan Gailey.