redman Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 He's leaving the Bucs : Bucs to release Rich McKay from contractBucs general manager Rich McKay is preparing to end his relationship with the team after nearly three decades. McKay asked for and received permission from owner Malcolm Glazer to be released from the final four seasons of his $2.4-million a year contract to pursue a similar position with the Atlanta Falcons or another NFL team. The apparent reason for McKay's planned departure is his well-documented disharmony with Jon Gruden that began shortly after the 40-year-old coach was acquired in a trade from the Raiders. - Rick Stroud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TC4 Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Yeah right, like Snyder is going to hire him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Oh man!!!! If only we could land him!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba9497 Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 he's going to Atlanta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsblitz Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Not as long as Snyder has his amazing raquetball playing puppet Vinny C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowghost Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 He will be in Atlanta. Maybe he will be my new neighbor:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gridironmike Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Some nobody named Wolf lives right down the road and we haven't called him.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog Fever Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Wolf wanted part ownership in the team to be the GM here. Hell, I wouldn't do that if I were Snyder either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cskin Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 If there is a clearing house in Raider Nation... Bruce Allen may be an option. Also...who was the guy who interviewed for the job... then Snyder made the "bait and switch" offering him a CO-job which he immediately turned down. Ruskell perhaps? I'd like to know the particulars of the whole GM thing pre-Spurrier being named coach. Wasn't part of the plan to hire Spurrier that there was going to be a GM in place to work with him....only for the structure to disappear once Spurrier inked the deal? Someone...anyone.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog Fever Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 My memory might not be 100% but I though SS wanted or at least supported McKay for the GM spot when he came here because the two of them had some history. The Bucs would not let McKay interview at the time. .....of course my memory could be a little off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba9497 Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Originally posted by Hog Fever My memory might not be 100% but I though SS wanted or at least supported McKay for the GM spot when he came here because the two of them had some history. The Bucs would not let McKay interview at the time. .....of course my memory could be a little off. I think it was for Tim Ruskell, McKays personell guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog Fever Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 A few articles about McKay from last year. In this one they were almost convinced they were getting the Tuna. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive By GARY SHELTON, Times Sports Columnist © St. Petersburg Times published February 15, 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soon, the euphoria may begin anew. Just the mention of the name is enough for that. It doesn't matter that it is conjecture at this point. It doesn't matter that there is bigger news. Someone said the name "Bill Parcells," which means the excitement may begin again. But as you embrace the prospect of a happy ending, as you rush toward the excitement Parcells would bring, try not to forget the familiar face going in the other direction. Goodbye, Rich McKay. And thanks. McKay appears on his way, well, to get out of the way. He is on the verge of joining the Atlanta Falcons. If compensation can be worked out, he soon will depart the team that has defined his life. In turn, he has defined its. Amid the cheers, then, take a moment for McKay. A salute for days gone by, a toast for days yet to come. For more than seven years, McKay has been the most valuable man in the building for the Bucs. You cannot overstate his importance and, therefore, you can underestimate his loss. It is not hyperbole to suggest that, without McKay, there might not be a new stadium, and the Bucs might reside somewhere else. That's how valuable he was during the stadium wars. He was the voice of reason. He was a diplomat, a salesman, a negotiator, a dealmaker. He had grown up here, and he had helped swing the sale of the team. Because of it, he was the one man trusted by both the Glazers and the Tampa politicians. Take McKay's credibility out of those talks, and maybe the vote goes the other way. As much as anyone, McKay also was the reason the Bucs ceased to be a laughingstock across the NFL over the past few seasons. He reshaped the image of a franchise, and of himself. With the help of the Glazers' money, and with the help of a very good scouting department, McKay made you forget he was a lawyer. Slowly, he became a football guy. It was important to him. To his team, too. Think of it this way. If you thought the team achieved less than its talent should have the past couple of seasons, you must acknowledge it was McKay who assembled that talent. If not for him, there would have been no feeling of underachievement. It was McKay who pulled off the trade for Keyshawn Johnson. It was McKay who found room for Brad Johnson. It was McKay who traded backward and still picked Warren Sapp. It was McKay who traded upward and picked Derrick Brooks. It was McKay who traded the rights to a tight end named Harold Bishop for a second-round draft pick who became Mike Alstott. It was McKay who found a way to move up in the last draft for Kenyatta Walker. Who would have believed it? When McKay was hired in November of 1994, things were spinning out of control for the Bucs. They were in the middle of yet another losing streak in yet another losing season. When the team named him as general manager, it seemed more diversion than anything else. There were, as you might imagine, skeptics. One of them wrote this: "After 19 years of no general manager, are we to believe the best one available was in the building? Is he the right guy for this job? Can an organization this historically bad really sprout heroes? Can you see any other team hiring him to a similar job?" I'm not quite sure who the skeptic was. I think it was me. I think I was wrong. Hey, it happens. Somewhere along the line, McKay seemed to lose the trust of the Glazers. McKay was not a natural fit with Parcells, and it has been surmised that perhaps he was one of the reasons Parcells changed his mind. Perhaps when McKay gathered reporters and admitted he was torn over whether to accept a promotion that would distance him from the football operation, it was seen as disloyal. Regardless, it became apparent he was no longer a favored employee. After it became obvious Jon Gruden was unattainable, McKay was prepared to pitch LSU coach Nick Saban as his choice for the team's next coach. That was quickly dispelled. McKay then began negotiations with Baltimore defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis. When that negotiation began to drag out, it appeared something was wrong. Now, perhaps you can surmise the Glazers convinced Parcells to get back into the picture, or the other way around. In the meantime, McKay was rendered powerless. And so now he is gone. After a lifetime with this team, after working his way from ball boy to general manager, he's going to have to have a heck of a rummage sale. This isn't his team anymore. No one mourns a general manager who leaves, particularly if he passes Parcells on the way in. But this time, you should at least remember. Goodbye, Rich. ----------------------------------------------------- This one reports that he had all but hired Marvin Lewis at one point. By RICK STROUD, Times Staff Writer © St. Petersburg Times published February 15, 2002 McKay: the best we had TAMPA -- Rich McKay was 16 years old when he first ran onto the field at One Buc Place. But his lifelong affiliation with the franchise that took him from ballboy to general manager appears over. McKay interviewed for the Falcons' GM position with owner Arthur Blank for at least five hours in Atlanta on Thursday, a day after informing Bucs owners he no longer wanted to remain with the team. Assuming the teams can agree on compensation for McKay, he will end his seven-year reign as Bucs general manager. With McKay gone, Bucs owners could resume a quiet pursuit of Bill Parcells, who turned down the head coaching position four weeks ago. McKay met with vice presidents Joel and Bryan Glazer on Wednesday for the first time since the Bucs owners rejected his plan to hire Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis last week. The Glazers granted Blank permission to interview McKay, who flew to Atlanta on Thursday morning and returned shortly after 7 p.m. McKay would not comment upon arriving back at Tampa International Airport. Because McKay is in the final year of his contract that pays him $1.8-million, the Bucs could demand compensation -- most likely a draft pick -- from the Falcons for their general manager. That would end McKay's long connection to the team that hired his father, John McKay, as its first head coach in 1975. The Falcons have interviewed three other candidates for the job: New Orleans general manager Randy Mueller, Buffalo director of football operations Tom Modrak and Seattle vice president Mike Reinfeldt. Blank said this week he would like to have a general manager within the next month or two, but a more realistic timetable is by the end of February, when the free agency period begins. With McKay gone, the Bucs would need to hire someone quickly to address the team's personnel issues that loom in the next few weeks. The NFL expansion draft for the Houston Texans is Monday, and free agency begins next month. If the Bucs resume their pursuit of Parcells and are successful, it would be an amazing turn of events and end a tumultuous monthlong coaching search since Tony Dungy was fired Jan. 14 after six seasons. Despite the Glazers' denial they had a nonbinding agreement for Parcells to coach the Bucs, the two-time Super Bowl coach seemed set to take over. His handpicked choice for general manager, Jets assistant GM Mike Tannenbaum, interviewed with the Glazers in Tampa two days after Dungy's firing. The Bucs kept their entire defensive coaching staff in place, including coordinator Monte Kiffin. And Parcells began assembling an offensive staff, including Jets offensive line coach Bill Muir, the only offensive assistant to be hired by the team since Dungy's dismissal. But questions by the NFL about tampering, his nomination for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and his recent divorce were thought to have contributed to his decision to remain retired. That left McKay to hold the franchise together, a role he embraced due to his emotional attachment to the Bucs. "I'm hometown," McKay said two weeks ago. "I say, who gets to work in the National Football League, and get the responsibilities I've been fortunate enough to have and do it in your hometown? I think the answer is nobody. To me, it's such a unique situation. I'm not motivated to go somewhere else to make more money." But all that quickly changed when the Glazers rejected Lewis and took over the Bucs coaching search. The Glazers, who are in California attending a planned family function, said Wednesday they intend to resume the coaching search in a few days. The loss of McKay, who has been affiliated with the Bucs since his father was hired in 1975, means the Glazers will need a head coach and general manager. Perhaps no available candidate is more equipped to take over those duties than Parcells, who told the Bucs last month that he was unable to make the necessary commitment to return to coaching. With Parcells backing out of a deal to coach the Bucs for the second time in 10 years and Florida coach Steve Spurrier having already been hired by the Washington Redskins, McKay embarked on an exhaustive search to replace Dungy. He interviewed San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Norv Turner, Steelers offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, Lewis and Louisiana State coach Nick Saban. After recommending the Bucs hire Lewis in a meeting with the Glazers in New Orleans, the Bucs owners decided to wait and continue a fruitless pursuit of Raiders coach Jon Gruden. When Raiders owner Al Davis demanded multiple No. 1 draft picks and millions in cash for the rights to Gruden, McKay turned to Lewis and began helping him assemble an offensive staff. Everything seemed in place for Lewis to be named head coach. He even had commitments from several assistants to come to Tampa Bay. Former Indiana University coach Cam Cameron was set to become offensive coordinator, Cowboys assistant Clarence Shelmon was to coach running backs, Rams assistant Ken Zampese had agreed to coach quarterbacks and the Redskins' Richard Mann was tabbed for receivers. But after meeting with Lewis near Washington for nearly five hours last week, the Glazers informed McKay the next morning that they would not authorize him to offer the job to the Ravens defensive coordinator. McKay was so distraught, he could not call Lewis to tell him the news and left that to agent Ray Anderson. He angrily stormed out of his office at One Buc Place and did not return to work until four days later while having no contact with the Glazers. The Glazers further aggravated the situation by resuming the search Monday without McKay, interviewing Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, who decided to remain with the Terrapins. Because of his emotional attachment to the Bucs and Tampa Bay, where he has lived for 26 years, McKay was reluctant to take advantage of other offers. His departure would add some spice to the impending rivalry between the Bucs and Falcons in the new NFC South division. No one knows the Bucs better than McKay, who is credited with taking over a moribund franchise in 1995 and building it into a perennial playoff contender. Among his best contributions was the hiring of Tony Dungy and overseeing drafts that netted Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn, Mike Alstott, Donnie Abraham and Ronde Barber, among others. "I grew up in this franchise," McKay said recently. "I was 16 years old when I was first on that field with my dad. I had hair then. Times have changed." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redblazer00 Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Why is it that we want Mckay? What has he done that is so great his buc's team is falling apart and we only trail them by one game! Allen is the GM of what one of the teams in the worst future shape? That team is old as dirt and we want him to come here? Wow not me I pass on that mess. Wolf is good but 5% of a 1 billion dollar team? Heck I don't think anyone is that dumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog Fever Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I think it was for Tim Ruskin (sp?) McKays personell guy I believe you are correct sir. I'm still looking for some other info. I'll post it if I find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog Fever Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Another article from last year. It mentions the Skins but I think unless things are not as they seem to be he will be in Atlanta very soon. ------------------ Tampa Bay general manager Rich McKay is considered a strong candidate to surface in Atlanta as the Falcons' general manager under the team's soon-to-be-approved new owner, Arthur Blank, NFL sources said Thursday. While McKay has no deal in place with Blank, whose purchase of the Falcons will not even be voted on until Super Bowl week, league sources indicate that both sides are well aware of their considerable mutual interest. The hiring could add juice to the Bucs and Falcons impending rivalry, in that both teams will realign to the new NFC South division next season. McKay's future has been uncertain since the Bucs fired head coach Tony Dungy on Monday night, with the anticipation of hiring Bill Parcells some time next week. While Tampa Bay owner Malcolm Glazer is encouraging McKay to stay with the Bucs as team president, even offering him a contract extension as an enticement, McKay would be stripped of his general manager duties and virtually all football-related authority in a Parcells regime. New York Jets assistant general manager/director of pro personnel Mike Tannenbaum, a Parcells associate, interviewed Wednesday for the Bucs general manager job and is expected to be hired. McKay declined comment Thursday on the potential of joining the Falcons or any other team, saying he was still deciding whether to accept the Bucs' offer to stay as team president. But he did indicate that he intends to remain with Tampa Bay at least until next week at some point, in order to see how he would fit with its new coach. It is not known whether Glazer would block McKay's path to Atlanta, given that the Falcons will be one of Tampa Bay's three new division rivals in 2002. McKay has one year left on his Bucs contract, and on Wednesday, Glazer denied Washington permission to speak to McKay about its general manager opening. McKay also acknowledged that he originally told the Glazers on Monday night that he would be willing to remain with the organization, before changing his mind to undecided on Tuesday. "They offered me a deal, which I said I would take on Monday night," McKay said. "But I had second thoughts. And on Tuesday, when they appeared before the media, they thought for certain I'd be a Buc. But I've waffled based on the fact that I want to see the new coach put in place and see how I fit with him before I decide anything. I just don't have a good feel for that now." It is not believed that McKay's hiring in Atlanta would portend a head coaching change. Head coach Dan Reeves is also the team's executive director of football operations, a dual position that has given him almost complete control of the franchise's football decision-making under owner/team president Taylor Smith. But it is expected that Reeves and McKay would work well together and perhaps have a power-sharing arrangement. Reeves has been expected to remain as head coach once Blank is approved by his fellow owners at a Feb. 2 special meeting in New Orleans. But Blank also has made it clear that he wanted to make a few additions to the Falcons' front office, which might disperse some of Reeves' authority. The timing of McKay's potential hiring is likely to be tricky, given that Blank doesn't assume control of the franchise until the Feb. 2 vote. Depending on whether he's still with the Tampa Bay organization, McKay may not be allowed to interview with the Falcons until after that date, in that Blank can't seek permission to speak to a candidate until the approval process is complete. If McKay is the Falcons' choice, current Falcons general manager Harold Richardson, who primarily manages the team's salary cap situation, could have his role reassigned. McKay would likely attempt to bring to Atlanta with him Bucs assistant general manager John Idzik, who has overseen Tampa Bay's salary cap during McKay's tenure. The Bucs this week told Idzik that he was free to pursue other opportunities. Whether that would still be the case if he tried to follow McKay to Atlanta is unknown. "Blank has looked of models of how other teams have structured their front offices," a league source said. "And he would like to have a GM like McKay overseeing things. They would probably keep Reeves as the coach. But obviously the situation is very attractive to Rich." On Tuesday, McKay said he was laying low trying to decide his future in the next two or three days. While Glazer gave McKay some job options, McKay said he was not eager to accept any job that would be viewed as a significant step down in authority compared to the GM role. But McKay, who has lived in Florida for 26 years, since his father, John McKay, was named the Bucs first head coach in late 1975, has deep family roots in Tampa Bay. His family doesn't want to leave the area if possible and there are other personal issues that McKay must factor into any decision. "I grew up in this franchise," McKay said Thursday. "I was 16 years old when I was first on that field with my dad. I had hair then. Times have changed." McKay has privately told friends that he almost certainly would not be a part of the Parcells regime in Tampa Bay, and was caught off guard by the strong case that the Glazers made for staying on. Sources say Parcells is pushing for McKay to remain as well, which is another surprising development given Parcells' penchant for wanting his own people in place. McKay on Tuesday said he was 50-50 to remain with the Bucs, but had some other options around the league to consider. One of those options is Washington. McKay and new Redskins coach Steve Spurrier are friends, and Washington sources reportedly said the team would continue to pursue McKay if he parted ways with the Bucs at some point. Washington is not thought to be high on McKay's list, given that he is looking for a place that holds out the promise of a stable, long-term working environment. Redskins owner Dan Snyder has had four head coaches in the past 13 months and has reversed himself recently on the question of whether a head coach can also handle general manager duties. Before he would sign on with the Redskins, McKay would have to be convinced that Snyder is committed to a previously unreached level of continuity. If McKay doesn't land another general manager job somewhere in the NFL, league sources say another possibility for him would be to go to work for the league office. McKay is highly regarded within the league as a member of its competition committee, and could possibly be given some of the duties that once were performed by senior vice-president/football operations George Young, who died in early December. Former Denver general manager John Beake this month was named to Young's old post, but the league would likely create a position for McKay. Don Banks covers pro football for CNNSI.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awesome Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Originally posted by redblazer00 Why is it that we want Mckay? What has he done that is so great his buc's team is falling apart and we only trail them by one game! Allen is the GM of what one of the teams in the worst future shape? That team is old as dirt and we want him to come here? Wow not me I pass on that mess. Wolf is good but 5% of a 1 billion dollar team? Heck I don't think anyone is that dumb. I'd been in support of Bruce Allen coming on as a GM. The Raiders were in a position to go deep into the playoffs for the past five years. That's a lot better than Dan Snyder can say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog Fever Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 The more I read about McKay the more I like the guy. He came to a terrible Bucs team in 95 and helped them become legitimate and eventually win a Super Bowl. Yes, the Bucs are a bit dysfunctional right now but there are a lot of factors that contribute to that. He does not get along with the Glazers very well at this point and never liked the idea of bringing in Gruden it seems. He hasn’t been 100% right on every move he’s made but that team has been more than competitive for many years thanks mostly to his GM work. I like Bruce Allen too but McKay would be my first choice. Not going to happen though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba9497 Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Lenny P, states Ruskell (Spurriers buddy) maybe out in Tampa with McKay hmmmmmmmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Williams Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Originally posted by skinsblitz Not as long as Snyder has his amazing raquetball playing puppet Vinny C. rich...may be an upgrade but vinny got us DARRELL......:finger: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Originally posted by Hog Fever Wolf wanted part ownership in the team to be the GM here. Hell, I wouldn't do that if I were Snyder either. Hog, Why not? Snyder just sold off a portion of the team to some "civilians" in order to generate some cash. The amount he sold off is no threat to him in regards to loosing control. 5% of a $Billion team IS alot but who sez it has to be 5%? This is a control thing. One thing most successful people are, is driven. DS stubbed his toe quite often in business before he actually made it bigtime. He thinks he is just in that phase of his NFL education. Is he? Only time will tell. Getting or not getting Ron Wolf is NOT about money, it's about control and decision making. DS wants it and he isn't gonna give it up until or unless he gets crushed. If SS and the team gets worse rather than better next year, he might reconsider, but I bet he stays the course with this set-up through next year. If we see the FO actively go after improving at RB, DL and maybe S, they might be showing us something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boy2Der Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Rich McKay would be great just for the fact that he could help us in trying to resign and restructure most of are players contacts. Instead of the Danny just handing out money like it grow on a tree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog Fever Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Hog, Why not? I can only speak for myself here is saying that if I were running a business and I wanted someone to come work for me, a condition of their hire would not be for me to give up part of the ownership of the company no matter how small. I realize that that in itself would not be a threat to his control over the team but I'd hate to think what type of precedent that would set. There is a big difference between selling pieces of a team to random investors and using it as a condition of hire or payment for services. Just for the record if 5% was his asking price as reported it’s an incredible amount of money: 50 million if I do my math right. That’s a hell of a lot of money for a GM. Is anybody that good? I agree completely with your other points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Originally posted by redblazer00 Why is it that we want Mckay? What has he done that is so great his buc's team is falling apart and we only trail them by one game! Allen is the GM of what one of the teams in the worst future shape? That team is old as dirt and we want him to come here? Wow not me I pass on that mess. Wolf is good but 5% of a 1 billion dollar team? Heck I don't think anyone is that dumb. He's put many peices in place to make them be a serious contender BEFORE the Super Bowl year. This year is just the time to rebuild the team. The Bucs have been making playoff consistently since '97 (though they missed it in '98, if I'm not mistaken). That should tell you something. He was the one who interviewd Marvin Lewis but the Glazers turned him down and got Gruden instead. That's why they haven't been getting along very well since. The good news is, he'll finally be available. The bad news is, Atlanta is apparently a front runner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88Comrade2000 Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Anyone thinking Synder will hire a gm, are deluding themselves. Synder will not give up the one thing about the Skins he loves. Being GM. Why do you think Marty was fired? He refused to give up GM control. Synder loves his role as GM and only a total collasp of say 4-12 or worse might convince him to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just skins baby Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Ruskell may be a good fit here if he is allowed to come here. He doesn't have a big name and that is exactly what we need here now. Now, I heard Vinny on Elliott in the morning after the Carolina game and he was saying that negotiating contracts with agents was a job that he didn't like and he would not be doing it anymore. Did anybody else hear that or read anything into it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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