The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced today that they have hired Nate Kaczor as special teams coordinator, Mark Duffner as linebackers coach, Jay Hayes as defensive line coach and Jon Hoke as defensive backs coach.
Kaczor comes to Tampa Bay having spent the past four seasons with the Tennessee Titans, working as the special teams coordinator (2013-15) for the past three years.
He joined the Titans as the assistant offensive line coach in 2012. Kaczor entered the NFL as an assistant special teams coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, a position he held for four seasons (2008-11).
Prior to joining the NFL, Kaczor spent 17 years coaching in college, working as offensive coordinator (2007) and tight ends coach (2006) at Louisiana-Monroe.
Before his time at Louisiana-Monroe, he spent two seasons (2004-05) as the co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach at Idaho and four seasons as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Nebraska-Kearney (2000-03).
Kaczor began his coaching career as an offensive assistant at his alma mater, Utah State, working as an offensive assistant for nine seasons (1991-99). While playing center for the Aggies, Kaczor was a team captain and earned all-conference honors in 1989.
Duffner brings over 40 years of coaching experience to the Buccaneers, including 19 seasons as an NFL assistant and 22 years coaching at the collegiate level – 11 of which were spent as a head coach.
He joins Tampa Bay as linebackers coach after two seasons (2014-15) with the Miami Dolphins in the same role.
Prior to his time with Miami, Duffner spent eight seasons (2006-13) coaching linebackers for the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he helped Paul Posluszny earn a Pro Bowl selection following the 2013 season, marking the first time a Jacksonville linebacker had earned that distinction since 1999.
Duffner also has prior stops as linebackers coach with the Green Bay Packers (2003-05) and linebackers coach and defensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals (1997-2002).
Duffner amassed a record of 80-40-1 as a head coach at Maryland (1992-96) and Holy Cross (1986-91). He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State in 1975.
Hayes joins the Buccaneers as defensive line coach after 13 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals (2003-15) in the same capacity, where he helped develop a line that in recent years has gained acclaim as one of the league’s best.
In 2015, Cincinnati’s defensive line finished the year with 37.5 of the team’s 42 sacks and earned distinction as the only unit in the league to feature two players recording 10+ sacks (defensive end Carlos Dunlap, 13.5; defensive tackle DT Geno Atkins, 11.0), en route to earning Pro Bowl selections for both.
The line also contributed heavily to Cincinnati’s success against the run, with the team’s 2015 rushing defense ranked seventh in the league, allowing 92.3 yards per game.
Hayes has previously served as a special teams coach for both the Minnesota Vikings (2002) and Pittsburgh Steelers (1999-2001) and spent 11 years coaching in the college ranks before moving on to the NFL.
He played defensive end at Idaho and saw time in the USFL with the Michigan Panthers and Memphis Showboats.
Hoke joins the Buccaneers after spending 2015 as the South Carolina co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach. Before returning to the college ranks, Hoke spent six seasons on the Chicago Bears’ coaching staff (2009-14), working as the teams’ defensive backs coach.
Prior to his time in Chicago, Hoke worked as the Houston Texans’ defensive backs coach for seven seasons (2002-08), his first NFL coaching experience.
Before joining Houston, Hoke spent three years with the Florida Gators (1999-2001) as the team’s defensive coordinator/secondary coach, adding the title of assistant head coach in his final two seasons.
Hoke started his coaching career in 1983, working as the Bowling Green secondary/special teams coach (1983-86), before moving on to San Diego State (1987-88), working as the defensive backs/special teams coach.
He then spent four seasons as the defensive backs coach at Kent State (1989-93), adding the title of defensive coordinator in his final season. Hoke spent five seasons coaching defensive backs at Missouri (1994-98), before moving on to Florida.
A four-year letterman at Ball State (1976-79), Hoke was named All-MAC at defensive back and earned degrees in physical education and history. He played one season in the NFL, appearing in 11 games for the Chicago Bears in 1980.
