Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris yells at line judge Ron Phares in the first half of their NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida September 13, 2009.PIERRE DUCHARME
Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris was on the verge of being fired Monday, but the team's coaching staff wasn't considered "big enough" to make adjustments to interim roles, ESPN's John Clayton reported.
Morris said this week he isn't concerned about his job status. But after Sunday's lopsided loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, his job is definitely on the line. Multiple reports indicate general manager Mark Dominik is expected to make a change at the end of the season.
"If I wanted to worry about my job security, I wouldn't be coaching," Morris said.
The 35-year-old Hofstra graduate replaced Jon Gruden in 2009, when he was promoted from defensive backs coach in a move concurrent with Dominik's promotion.
On Monday, the Chiefs and Dolphins fired their head coaches and, as to questions about the size or volume of the coaching staff, both teams have fewer assistants than the Buccaneers (18).
Tampa Bay won 10 games in 2010, narrowly missing the playoffs.
The Buccaneers, under Morris' mantra of "Youngry" were expected to compete for the NFC South division title in 2011 but enter Saturday's game against the Cowboys with a seven-game losing streak.
Morris, who is also the team's defensive coordinator, has been under heavy criticism for the poor run defense and faced questions about scrapping the two-deep zone -- known as the Tampa Two around the NFL -- for a more aggressive, man-to-man scheme that takes outside run support away and can widen running lanes.