TAMPA, Fla. (AP) _ Tampa Bay has elevated offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to head coach.
He becomes the club’s fifth head coach since 2008 and succeeds the fired Lovie Smith, who was 8-24 over the past two seasons.
Koetter is credited with helping No. 1 overall draft pick Jameis Winston become just the third rookie in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards.
The Bucs, who missed the playoffs for the eighth straight year, set a franchise record for total offense, ranking fifth in the league.