Dirk Koetter will not return as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Adam Schefter reported Sunday.
Koetter had been on the hot seat for weeks, and was reportedly only retained for the 2018 season because Tampa Bay lost out on the Jon Gruden sweepstakes to the Oakland Raiders.
"Thanks to all the Bucs fans out there and hope for the best for the Bucs in the future," Koetter said on his weekly radio show Friday, via NFL.com. "Whether I'm here or not, I'm always going to be a Bucs fan."
Promoted from the Bucs' offensive coordinator job after Lovie Smith was fired at the conclusion of the 2015 season, Koetter went 9-7 in his 2016 debut but failed to progress from there. Tampa Bay went 5-11 in 2017 and '18, concluding the Koetter era at 19-29.
The cause of that regression was Koetter's staff's failure to develop former No. 1 pick Jameis Winston. The Bucs were third in the NFL in total yardage but turned the ball over more than any team in the league.
Koetter previously went 66-44 as the head coach at Boise State and Arizona State from 1998-06.
Schefter added that GM Jason Licht will lead the search and has elicited the help of search firm Korn-Ferry (Jed Hughes) to help.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.