Lavonte David, Other Buccaneers Comment on Lovie Smith's Firing

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced they fired head coach Lovie Smith on Wednesday night following a two-season stint with the team, meaning the franchise has now fired three head coaches—Raheem Morris, Greg Schiano and Smith—in the past five years.

"After careful consideration, we informed Lovie that we have decided to make a change," Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer said in a statement on the team's official website. "I want to thank Lovie for his hard work and dedication to the Buccaneers during his time here. This decision was difficult on a variety of levels."

Among those dissatisfied with the decision was star linebacker Lavonte David, who took to Twitter to express his opinions on the evening's events (via Bleacher Report's Luke Easterling):

Linebacker Kwon Alexander, safety Major Wright and defensive lineman Da'Quan Bowers were also shocked to hear the news:

Former Tampa Bay general manager and current ESPN analyst Mark Dominik provided his take on the favorite to fill the vacant head-coaching gig:

Tight end Brandon Myers expressed a similar opinion:

Fox Sports' Alex Marvez reported Monday that offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter has reportedly been in the mix for an interview with the Philadelphia Eagles, so the 56-year-old has emerged as a trendy name in head-coaching circles over the past few days.

Based on Wednesday's stunning decision, Tampa Bay evidently has high standards for its next leader on the sidelines. The Buccaneers went 2-14 during Smith's first season at the helm, but a 2015 campaign that saw Tampa improve to 6-10 pointed to steady improvement.

With quarterback Jameis Winston, running back Doug Martin, wideout Mike Evans, David and a group of talented youngsters in the fold, the Bucs appeared to be trending in a positive direction. But with the franchise still searching for its first playoff appearance since the 2007 season, patience could be at an all-time low.