Mike Sullivan is new Bucs' OC

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired former Giants quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan as their offensive coordinator Friday.

Sullivan joins the staff of new coach Greg Schiano, who was hired in late January from Rutgers, replacing the fired Raheem Morris.

"We are very fortunate to add someone like Mike Sullivan to lead our offensive coaching staff," said Schiano in a statement. "He is a man of character and a complete football coach, who fits with the kind of football team we are building here. His work with the Giants over the past eight seasons speaks for itself. Mike was an integral part of that team winning two Super Bowls in the last five years and we look forward to him bringing that experience and expertise to our club."

The Bucs have fielded the league's youngest team the past two years with dramatically different results. After going 10-6 and nearly earning a playoff berth in 2010, they slumped to 4-12 for this season, ending the 35-year-old Morris' run as the NFL's youngest head coach on a 10-game losing streak.

Sullivan just finished his second season as quarterbacks coach after serving as the Giants wide receivers coach for six seasons.

This past season, Eli Manning enjoyed the finest season of his career. He earned his second Super Bowl MVP and passed for a career-high 4,933 yards during the regular season. He had 29 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, down from the 25 interceptions he had in 2010.

Entering the season, Manning said he wasn't a 25-interception quarterback and he was able to cut that number down with Sullivan's help.

During 2010, Manning did set a career high in interceptions, but he threw for 4,002 yards and a career-high 31 touchdowns in Sullivan's first season as quarterbacks coach.

Information from ESPNNewYork.com's Ohm Youngmisuk and The Associated Press was used in this report.

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print