Bucs clean house: Schiano and Dominik fired
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a fresh start in 2014, as both head coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik were fired on Monday.
Dominik had been part of the Bucs' organization since 1995 and had just completed his fifth season as the club's GM. He brought in Schiano before the 2012 campaign and the Bucs were just 11-21 in his brief two-year tenure.
This year's squad opened with eight straight losses and finished 4-12.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The results over the past two years have not lived up to our standards and we believe the time has come to find a new direction," said Buccaneers co- chairman Bryan Glazer in a statement Monday. "Mark has been a valued member of our organization for two decades and we respect the passion he showed for the Buccaneers during his time here. We thank Greg for his hard work and effort the past two seasons, but we feel these moves are necessary in order to achieve our goals."
The Bucs were 7-9 last year and this year's team had problems from the outset, including the benching and subsequent release of quarterback Josh Freeman in October. There had been complaints of unrest in the locker room with speculation that Schiano has lost the respect of many players due to his strict and uncompromising style.
A season-opening win against the Jets was snatched from Tampa Bay's grasp when a penalty on a run out of bounds set up New York's last-second field goal in an 18-17 decision. Three of the Bucs' first four losses came by three points or less, and the club didn't win a game until Nov. 11 with a 22-19 triumph over Miami.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The victory over the Dolphins started a three-game win streak, but a three- game skid to close the season may have sealed the fate of both men. All three setbacks came by double digits, including a 42-17 drubbing in New Orleans on Sunday.
Schiano joined the Buccaneers after a somewhat successful 11-year stint at Rutgers. He finished 68-67 with the Scarlet Knights, turning around a program that had just one bowl appearance prior to his arrival into a perennial postseason contender.
The New Jersey native had minimal NFL coaching experience before taking over in Tampa Bay. He was a defensive assistant with the Chicago Bears in 1996-97 and the club's defensive backfield coach in '98.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dominik, meanwhile, started his career with Tampa Bay as a pro personnel assistant in 1995. He also served as a pro scout, coordinator of pro personnel and director of pro personnel.