A LOT OF STUN IN TAMPA BAY

Bucs’ GM defends firing of popular Smith, cites impatient fans

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht cited Lovie Smith’s overall record in two seasons — and in particular, struggles at home — as the prime reasons why the organization made the surprising move to fire Smith late Wednesday night.

“When you have eight wins in two years, three home wins in two years, they’ve been patient enough,” Licht said of the fan base during an afternoon news conference Thursday. “It does take time, but while you are building a good football team, you can compete.”

Tampa Bay stunned many — including the franchise’s coaches, staff members and players — when it posted a media release to the team’s website after 9 p.m. Wednesday night to announce Smith’s dismissal.

In his second season in Tampa, Smith, 57, led the Buccaneers to an improvement on the field, going from two wins in 2014 to six this season. And Smith accomplished this while starting rookie quarterback Jameis Winston, the top overall pick.

Licht said the possibility that offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter could accept a head-coaching job elsewhere was not the reason why Smith was fired. Calling Koetter a “very strong candidate” for the head-coaching job in Tampa, Licht praised the coordinator as a good communicator who yielded notable results while working with Winston.

“Any coordinator, quarterback coach, in that role with a quarterback . . . that’s an important bond,” Licht said. “That was present. But we will make the best decision for this football team.”

Licht informed Smith late Wednesday that ownership was planning to meet with Smith on Thursday to fire him. Licht said Smith ultimately declined to meet with ownership and instead cleaned out his office late Wednesday.

“We felt this franchise needed a new face, a new coach, to get back to winning …,” Licht said.

The move was merely the latest example of a lack of continuity with the Buccaneers, who have dismissed three head coaches in a little more than four years.

Licht said he maintains a deep amount of respect for Smith and called him a ”great person to work with.”

Still, Smith got dumped over the phone— but at his own insistence.

Licht said he tipped the coach off the previous night to a meeting with team ownership set for the following day. Smith then requested to speak with co-chairman Joel Glazer over the phone.

“Lovie gracefully declined the meeting, very polite, in a way only Lovie could do it,” Licht said. “And he said he would rather do it this way.”

Buccaneers players, meanwhile, appeared to be as stunned as anybody by the firing.

None were more vocal than linebacker Lavonte David, who went on a mini-rant before deleting his tweets.

“This is stupid,” David said. “We can’t even have a consistent coach. 3 coaches in 5 yrs.”

He later tweeted “y’all wouldn’t understand how great of a coach/ person he is,” an apparent swipe at those he said were on the “outside” who wanted Smith out after only two seasons

“I guess yall got what you been asking for smh #bs,” David said in another tweet moments later.

The tweets from other Bucs players weren’t as forceful, but they still took up for Smith and appeared to be just as blindsided by his firing.