AP

The Buccaneers made the surprise fire of the offseason late Wednesday night, firing Lovie Smith after a four-win improvement from the previous season.

And they could be staying in-house for a replacement, though it won’t come without some degree of hoops to jump through.

According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the eventual promotion of offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter seems inevtiable, using the word “coronation,” to describe what’s about to happen.

He reports that the Dolphins were interested in Koetter, which sparked this process. That suggests they place a high value on Koetter continuing his work with rookie quarterback Jameis Winston, even if it meant firing a guy to keep him.

Of course, they still have to go through another process, finding a minority candidate to sit for a Rooney Rule interview. If what Stroud suggests is accurate, it will be a sham, and one that some candidates may not feel inclined to go through.