Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coaching Search: Part 3 of 4

As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season comes to a disappointing end, many questions surround the team and its future moving forward.

One of the biggest questions upcoming, now that the season has concluded, is who will replace Raheem Morris as the head coach of the underachieving Bucs.

Considering the fact that Tampa Bay decided not to keep Morris around, there's much buzz circulating about who will replace Morris, now that he has been dismissed.

We have already considered the possibilities of long-time head coaches Bill Cowher and Jeff Fisher taking the job (both are unlikely circumstances), and we also observed the chances of many up-and-coming assistants in the running. 

So today, we look at three more likely candidates, all in different periods of their career.

One has come up victorious at the highest level and is currently in retirement. Another played for the Buccaneers and coaches in Green Bay, while the third individual is partly credited to the growth of the best quarterback in the league.

Brian Billick, Fox Analyst, Former Baltimore Ravens Head Coach

If the Buccaneers are having too much indecision on whether to hire an offensive- or defensive-minded coach, they may have found their answer.

Brian Billick was very focused on building a strong defense in his days coaching the Ravens. So much so that you'd almost forget he was an offensive coordinator before, and during, his days in Baltimore.

There's really not a strong degree of buzz surrounding his name when it comes to the Bucs' head coaching job. But then again, other long-time head coaches Bill Cowher and Jeff Fisher haven't come up much in talks either.

Also, the question must be asked whether Billick (much like Cowher and Fisher) even has the desire to coach in the NFL again.

If the answer to that question is indeed yes, then I would consider him a more likely candidate than the other two coaches. But that doesn't automatically place him in the hunt for the job.

Besides, there should be several other teams in front of the Bucs at Billick's door, if he decides to step out, thereby stepping back in to coaching in the NFL.

But the likelihood of that seems to be slimming year-by-year, with Billick four years removed from his job with the Ravens. Whether he coaches again or not, he will continue to be pursued by teams for his services.

But I wouldn't necessarily count on the Bucs being one of them.

Winston Moss, Assistant/Linebacker Coach, Green Bay Packers

Who better to take the Buccaneers head coaching job than a former Buccaneer himself?

Alright, maybe Winston Moss isn't a front-runner for the position, but he's more than worthy of a look by the franchise in Tampa Bay. Moss did indeed play for these Bucs between 1987 and 1990, if that's worth anything to you.

Moss has been coaching in Green Bay since 2006 and is the assistant coach to Mike McCarthy. He primarily works with the linebackers, where the Packers have been particularly strong at the past few seasons.

Moss has been known to be a fun, but intense, coach who would definitely keep the Bucs' players on their toes, something this team needs.

McCarthy has certainly created a group that could one day rival Mike Holmgren's Green Bay disciples (Jon Gruden, Andy Reid, Dick Jauron, etc.) in terms of head coaching success.

But while Moss may not be the hottest commodity of Green Bay assistants, he certainly is starting to create his fair share of buzz around the league, with more than a few teams likely being interested in him.

The Buccaneers should certainly add themselves to that list, now that they have come to the conclusion of firing Raheem Morris.

Tom Clements, Quarterbacks Coach, Green Bay Packers

It certainly makes you look good when your backup quarterback throws for six, yes six, touchdowns in a game, as Matt Flynn did yesterday.

But Green Bay quarterbacks coach Tom Clements has already been a target of NFL teams for a while now. He helped develop one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Aaron Rodgers, and it's hard not to think about what he could do for Josh Freeman.

Clements is still considered one of the possible targets to replace Joe Paterno at Penn State, but it looks like they may lean towards Bill O'Brien of the Patriots.

In that case, Clements should still be free for hiring as a head coach, and the Buccaneers should at least consider interviewing him, now that they Buccaneers have moved on-ward from Morris.

He has spent 20 years working as a quarterbacks coach (Notre Dame, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City, Pittsburgh Steelers and Packers) and has even spent two years as the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills.

There may be debate if Clements should be a head coach in the NFL. He only has the two years as a coordinator and, at 58, he may stay as a position coach or coordinator for the rest of his career.

But with getting so much buzz around him with the Packers success, it's hard to believe he won't get a look by a few NFL teams. The Bucs may want to consider being one of those teams.