Bucs hire Bill Sheridan as defensive coordinator

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano has added another coordinator with a New York Giants Super Bowl ring to his staff.

Bill Sheridan was hired as defensive coordinator, the team announced Friday.

Sheridan, who spent the past two seasons with the Miami Dolphins, was a New York Giants assistant from 2005-09, winning a Super Bowl with the 2007 team that beat New England.

He will be reunited with new Bucs offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan, a former Giants assistant hired a week ago.

"Bill is a great teacher who brings a tremendous understanding of defensive football to the Buccaneers organization," Bucs coach Greg Schiano said in a statement. "Over the last three decades, he has had the opportunity to work under some great head coaches like Bo Schembechler, Nick Saban, Lloyd Carr, and Tom Coughlin. His experience and knowledge will be a great benefit to our defensive staff."

Sheridan, 53, will be introduced at a news conference at 11 a.m. Tuesday at One Buc Place.

Sheridan has coached 31 years in the NFL.

He was the Giants' linebackers coach for four seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2009. He was fired after one season as coordinator after the Giants allowed 40 or more points five times while losing eight of their final 11 games.

Sheridan spent two seasons coaching linebackers for the Dolphins, but recently took a job as the defensive backs coach at Ohio State under coach Urban Myer after the Dolphins fired head coach Tony Sporano in December. Sheridan was on the job a few weeks before jumping back to the NFL.

Prior to joining the Giants, Sheridan coached at several respected college programs, including Michigan (2002-04), Notre Dame (2001) and Michigan State (1998-2000).

With the Bucs, he will be reunited for a third time with Sullivan. Sheridan and Sullivan worked together at Army during the 1995 and 1996 seasons, when Sheridan served first as a linebackers coach and then a defensive line coach.

The move to the Bucs also reunites Sheridan with one-time NFL standout linebacker Bryan Cox, who the Bucs confirmed on Friday was added to the defensive staff in an unspecified position.

Sheridan and Cox worked together a year ago when Cox was a defensive line coach and pass rush specialist with the Dolphins.

Cox had a 12-year playing career in the NFL that lasted from 1991 to 2002. He began that career with the Dolphins, but was a member of the Patriots team that won Super Bowl XXXVI.

Cox's coaching career began in 2006 when he started a three-year run as an assistant defensive line coach with the New York Jets. Cox has also coached defensive linemen with the Browns.

Cox's playing career was both successful and controversial. A fifth-round draft pick of the Dolphins in 1991, he played in 165 games and recorded 764 tackles and 51.5 quarterback sacks.

Known as a big hitter, Cox also drew the ire of fans in 1993 when waved both middle fingers at fans prior to a game on the road against the Buffalo Bills.