Speaking to PewterReport.com and the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday at the Senior Bowl, Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith expressed his excitement in hiring former Atlanta offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to serve in that same capacity in Tampa Bay this year.

“Whenever a guy is able to put 59 points on you, on the other side, you have to be pretty excited about bringing him on board,” Smith said. “I’ve known Dirk Koetter a long time. He’s got a good offensive mind, competing against him and guys that I really trust that have worked with him. It was an easy hire. We had him pegged after he became available. I looked at a lot of different people and a lot of people had interest in him. Good situation we feel like we have in Tampa. It was just the perfect fit for us.”

Koetter replaces Jeff Tedford and Marcus Arroyo, both of whom are no longer with the team following a dismal 2-14 season in which Tampa Bay’s offense ranks near the bottom of the NFL in several categories, such as point production, total yards and rushing yards. The latest addition to the Bucs coaching staff is recovering from hip surgery this offseason, but Smith said he would be at work at One Buccaneer Place on Monday.

via Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report