Dave Wannstedt--Special Teams Coach?

Not everyone can rock the 'stache.

I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this story.

On one hand, I am happy for Dave Wannstedt because he is a good football coach and he is still working, now as the special teams coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Being out of work sucks no matter how much you've ever made at your job in the past. It's damaging to the psyche; an overwhelming sense of failure--not good for anyone.

Not that a blogger would know anything about that...

On the other hand, Wannstedt has been to the top of his profession. He helped win a Super Bowl early in his  NFL career as the defensive coordinator under Jimmy Johnson. His tenure as a head coach wasn't sparkling for the Bears and Dolphins, but part of that I'll chalk up to a lack of personnel.



After leaving the Dolphins he did a good job for the Pitt Panthers, his alma mater, but I'd have to say this is another case of a school expecting too much for too little. Pitt was good under Wannstedt, but not great. They were also not known for being a big spender.

Had he not resigned after the '10 season he probably would have been fired following the team's 7-5 finish, largely because they hadn't gone to a BCS bowl (something most schools don't ever do).

That gave him the opportunity to head back to the NFL where he was given a job by someone who once worked for him, Bills head coach Chan Gailey (who was his offensive coordinator back in Miami). He started out with the linebackers and became the defensive coordinator in '12 only to be fired at the end of the season along with everyone else.

Enter the job with Tampa Bay.

Current Bucs head coach Greg Schiano is another former assistant of Wannstedt's (Bears back in the 90's). Wannstedt has never coached special teams at the NFL level, but he was in charge of them at Pitt.

So what's my problem with the job?

Well, it seems like a huge step back. To be a coordinator, to win a Super Bowl, to be a head coach of two NFL teams and a major college program--and now be a special teams coach? I know it sounds pretty insensitive towards special teams, but it sounds like a huge step backwards for him.

Then again, sometimes you have to do what you have to do in order to stay in the game so you can get your next opportunity. Dave Wannstedt is too good of a coach not to get another opportunity.


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