Joel Glazer, Mark Dominik address Buccaneer head coach Raheem Morris firing, team's future

TAMPA - Three hours after Monday's announcement that head coach Raheem Morris had been fired, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers front office explained their decision and responded to criticism about money.

Team co-chairman Joel Glazer described Monday's meeting with Morris as "very emotional" and offered only praise for the 35-year-old coach.

"We will begin the coaching search immediately," Glazer said.

As for what led to the decision, "You can't point to any one thing. You have to look at the totality of the situation."

Questioned about criticism that the ownership has not committed enough money for a winning team, "We are going to spend whatever it takes to win," Glazer said. "No player has left because of money."

In the search for a new coach, "There's not going to be any timetable."

Bucs General Manager Mark Domink echoed Glazer's remarks. "There are multiple things that you had to put your finger on," he said.

The team announced the change one day after a 45-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons extended the franchise's longest losing streak within the same season since 1977 to 10 games.

Morris went 17-31, including a 10-6 mark in 2010, when the Bucs (4-12) narrowly missed the playoffs.

Word of his firing spread quickly and was anticipated by many.

A diminutive headline on the Bucs official website read "Morris Relieved of Duties."

The 35-year-old Morris was hired in January 2009, replacing Jon Gruden after Tampa Bay lost the final four games of 2008 to miss the playoffs following a 9-3 start.

This year's collapse followed a promising 4-2 start that included wins over NFC South rivals New Orleans and Atlanta, which are both headed to the playoffs.

Morris began his stint as the NFL's youngest coach with a seven-game losing streak. It ended with a skid that rivaled some of the worst stretches in franchise history, in part because it came only a year after it looked like the Bucs might be headed in the right direction.

After Sunday's loss, Morris dismissed any talk of his possible departure from the team.

Many postings on the ABC Action News Facebook page were unsympathetic.

"I wish I could hit "like" 100 times," wrote one person.

"That's great but unless the Glazier's are willing to get off there (sic) wallet no coach will turn this team around.
So let's start the Jimmy Johnson or Bill Parcel G M watch," wrote another.

One posting went easy on Morris, "It had to happen, but he will only get better with more experience. He's a very intelligent coach, but was given the job too early."

Injuries contributed to the season-ending slide, but so did inconsistent play starting with Freeman who threw for 16 touchdowns vs. 22 interceptions after tossing 25 TD passes and being intercepted just six times in 2010. The Bucs turned the ball over a league-leading 40 times compared to 19 last season.

The defense, once the proud stable of a perennial playoff contender, sank to unheard of lows in Tampa Bay. In addition to surrendering a franchise-record and league-high 494 points, the Bucs lost eight games by double-digit margins and allowed 31 of more seven times during the season-ending skid.

Making matters even worse for Morris, he served as his own defensive coordinator.

Still, last week the coach laid out his argument for keeping his job.

The Bucs had the youngest team in the NFL this season, with 30 players on the 53-man roster in the first, second or third years in the league.

In addition, there are 21 players on the roster, including leading rusher LeGarrette Blount and third-leading receiver Preston Parker, entered the NFL as undrafted free agents.

Among the veterans who didn't return in 2011 were middle linebacker Barrett Ruud and running back Cadillac Williams, who left via free agency. Rookie Mason Foster stepped into Ruud's spot and took on play-calling responsibilities, and the loss of Williams left Freeman without a proven third-down back once veteran Earnest Graham was lost for the season to injury.

"We made a collective agreement to go young when we took over this program. That's something we wanted to do," Morris said last week. "I believe in my guys. I believe in the system. I believe in the program. I believe in what we do. We want to build this thing young, and want to develop a team that goes out and wins, and wins consistently."

No one has a better understanding of how far the franchise has dipped than cornerback Ronde Barber, who became the team's all-time leader in games Sunday in the finale of his 15th season.

At 36, he's not only the oldest player on the team but the lone holdover from the roster that won the Super Bowl nine years ago. His interception and 92-yard return for a touchdown sealed Tampa Bay's victory over Philadelphia in the NFC championship game.

"It seems like a long time ago. It seems like a lifetime ago, to be honest with you. It's been a lifetime ago for a number of years. ... It almost seems like a different career," Barber said before the Atlanta game. "Lots changed