The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired their defensive coordinator Mike Smith.
#Bucs players were informed the team is making a change at defensive coordinator, sources sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo. Sounds like Mike Smith is out.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 15, 2018
The move comes just one day after the team's 34-29 loss at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Bucs have allowed 30 points or more in four of their five games this season. The Buccaneers defense is dead last in the NFL, surrendering 34.6 points per game, and 439.8 yards per game, second worst in the league.
Smith was named defensive coordinator of the Bucs in January of 2016, the same day Dirk Koetter was named head coach.
"I have the utmost respect for Mike Smith as a man and as a football coach," coach Dirk Koetter told buccaneers.com. "These decisions are always difficult, but our top priority here is to ensure that we do everything possible to help this team succeed. As I have said in the past, the issues we have had as a team are never one person’s fault. During good times, as well as the bad, it is a collective effort between the coaches and the players. We all understand that this is a result-based profession and our results to this point have not met our standards. I want to thank Mike for all the hard work and passion he has displayed here on a daily basis and I wish him well moving forward."
Linebackers coach Mark Duffner will serve as the interim coach.
