"Although it might be hard for their faithful to admit, the Bucs are a team still under construction. So when they went in search of a new coach, they looked for someone who could build a lasting contender.

They are convinced Greg Schiano has the blueprint.

Schiano, 45, who took Rutgers from a laughingstock to perennial Big East contender, was hired Thursday.

The selection of Schiano (pronounced SHE-ah-no) after a 24-day search, which included 11 known candidates, might say as much about where the Bucs are as a franchise as the man they picked to lead it.

Coming off a 4-12 season, capped by 10 losses that led to the firing of Raheem Morris, the Glazer family, which owns the Bucs, and general manager Mark Dominik view Schiano as a serious, hands-on coach who knows how to make a few repairs.

"The reason we hired Schiano is because of what he is defensively; what he's done not only as a coordinator, but certainly as a head coach," Dominik said. "It's the way he took the Rutgers program and what he built it into. That certainly was part of the decisionmaking process.

"We liked his leadership, his structure, his organization, and he's a football guy through and through. He is a strong believer in fundamentals and tackling, which is a lost art in the NFL somewhat. He's got a strong demeanor and presence to him. I know his work ethic. When you talk around the league and do the research, there's a lot of respect for him as a football coach. And that's the big thing — to get our team at a consistent level and beyond.""