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Bucs Q&A

By ROGER MILLS, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 9, 2002

Statements from Bucs director of communications Reggie Roberts, speaking on behalf of the Glazer family, owners of the Buccaneers, and general manager Rich McKay after Friday's announcement that the team will not hire Marvin Lewis as coach:

Q : What happened?

A: I think at the end of the day there was not a comfort level among the Glazers that would allow them to make Marvin our next head coach. ... I don't think the Glazers felt with the current makeup of our team, that this was the right guy for our franchise.

Q : Were the reports that contract talks with Lewis had begun all false?

A: The Glazers, at no point, signed off on this, contrary to what has been published in some other media reports, and everybody knows what they reported. ... I think the Glazers sometimes are the victims of media speculation, the victims of Internet services that want to be first instead of being right. At no point had they signed off on this, so for (Lewis' agent) Ray (Anderson) to say that the Glazers treated his client shabbily, I don't think it's a fair statement. It's the Glazers' football team and they decide who they want to lead that football team.

Q : What's the status of Rich McKay?

A: Right now, Rich is the general manager of the ballclub and any reports to the contrary (are speculative).

Q : There have been reports that he's on his way out.

A: I don't know the answer to that question. I don't want to sit here and speculate on what Rich is going to do, what the owners are going to do. My sense is Rich isn't probably the first NFL general manager to recommend a coach that the owners didn't approve of. I don't view that as a huge thing. Now, what we have to do and what the Glazers want us to do is to move forward and find the guy that they're comfortable with. That's the most important thing.

Q : Where will the search turn now?

A: It's been my understanding from the owners and from Rich that there are not only coaches in the pro ranks, but a lot of guys in the college ranks. I think we may now turn our attention to the college (ranks). I'm not saying that that's where we're going to go, but it's a possibility. The bottom line, this is a very important process. The head coach is the most important person in the organization because he sets the tone to (the media), to the fans, to the corporate community. This is a process that has to be done right. So if that means we take a little criticism for taking the process a week, or a week or 10 days longer, then so be it.

Q : Are the Glazers more qualified than McKay to pick a coach?

A: I don't know the answer to that question, but I do know this: I know the owners had to have a comfort level. The owner gets on the phone, he does research, he speaks to other people, as does Rich. I don't think the owner can sign off on somebody that he's not comfortable with. In the course of the interviews, there were things they weren't comfortable with. If they are not happy about something with this guy, I don't see how they can make (him their) head coach.

Q : Is Monte Kiffin a candidate?

A: I don't think that has been determined yet. I think what's going to happen is we're going to take the next 24 hours just to see where we are and I think we'll move forward.

Q : Is there a timetable?

A: There's no timetable. We hope to have this thing done as quickly as possible, but by the conversations I have had with the owners, we'll get it done when it happens. ... I think that it's a process that's going to continue. How long does it take? Does it take two days, does it take seven days, does it take 10 days? I don't know the answer to that. I do know that the process is going to be ongoing and when we have someone in place, we'll tell you guys.

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