Greg Schiano Nearing Deal With Tampa Bay Buccaneers, According To Report

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are reportedly closing in on their new head coach: Greg Schiano. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Schiano and the Bucs are currently finalizing a contract that will make him the new head coach.

The Bucs job became available shortly after the season when they fired Raheem Morris.

Schiano, the Rutgers football coach, wasn't on anyone's radar until Thursday morning when a Tampa radio report indicated he could be a candidate. It's no surprise that the talks between the two sides were so quiet because, if they could not strike a deal, Schiano still had recruits to worry about and didn't need his name floating around a job he wasn't going to take.

So the deal appears to be getting done soon, according to the report. The Bucs are getting a guy who has spent the last decade as the Rutgers head coach compiling a 68-67 record (and 5-1 in Bowl games). Prior to Rutgers, he was the Miami defensive coordinator and before that he spent three seasons on the Chicago Bears coaching staff.

Other candidates reportedly included Chip Kelly (before the Oregon coach backed out), Jerry Gray and Marty Schottenheimer

For more on the Bucs decision, visit SB Nation's Bucs blog, Bucs Nation. And for a Rutgers perspective, visit On The Banks.