Raheem Morris can't wait to get back to work.
The former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers already has landed two NFL job interviews since his Jan. 2 dismissal. Morris visited the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings last week and intends to latch on with an organization in 2012.
"With Washington, it was more of an offer, but I also felt great coming out of my talks with Minnesota,'' said Morris, who interviewed for the defensive coordinator job with the Vikings.
"We should know something pretty soon because you can see jobs shaking out all over the league right now. I'll be back somewhere next season. I'm not going to just stay at home – I don't have that in me. I'm a football coach and we do what we do.''
Although Morris said his firing did not come as a surprise after a season-ending 10-game losing streak, the decision to dismiss his entire Tampa Bay coaching staff was a tough blow.
"That was the big concern for me,'' said Morris, who was 17-31 in three seasons as Bucs head coach. "I wasn't worried about myself. This is the NFL and I know how things work when things don't go as planned. You can't be surprised in my profession, and I wasn't. You can't go in with blinders on. In the end, it's a business. I was just worried about my guys.''
Eric Yarber, who coached Tampa Bay's wide receivers, joined new coach Jim Mora's staff at UCLA.
Morris is appreciative of the support shown by Bucs fans during a frustrating season.
"Our fans were awesome, and I'll never forget that,'' he said. "The Bucs will be just fine down the road. Eventually, they will put the pieces together here in Tampa and get it done. And hopefully, the local economy will improve and they'll be able to fill all the seats on Sundays at Raymond James Stadium. I'm very confident that day will come.''
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