Buccaneers Hire Bates as New Defensive Coordinator

The Bucs have added Jim Bates to the coaching staff to run the defense as he’s the teams new defensive coordinator. Bates takes the spot of now head coach Raheem Morris, who was promoted from defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator on Christmas Day, but wound up with his first head coaching job after Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen were fired last week.

The defensive coordinator's position opened initially when Monte Kiffin decided to leave the Bucs to join his son, Lane, at the University of Tennessee. Bates, who has been in coaching 39 years, has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL for eight seasons with the Atlanta Falcons (1994), Miami Dolphins (2000-04), Green Bay Packers (2005) and most recently the Denver Broncos (2007).