Jim Bates (American football coach)
Encyclopedia
Jim Bates is a former American football
coach in the National Football League
, most recently serving as defensive coordinator
of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. He primarily ran a 4-3 scheme, using fast, undersized linebackers. Bates served as interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins
during the 2004 NFL season
.
in 1968. Bates then spent the next three seasons as head coach at Sevier County High School in Sevierville, Tennessee
, before returning to the collegiate ranks with the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in 1972. In 1973, he coached the offensive line for the Villanova Wildcats
and the linebackers coach in 1974. Bates spent the 1975-1976 seasons as the Kansas State Wildcats
' linebackers coach. Bates spent the 1977 season as a secondary coach with the West Virginia Mountaineers
. He held the same position with the Texas Tech Red Raiders
from 1978-1979 before being promoted to defensive coordinator from 1980 through 1983.
, replacing retiring head coach Gil Steinke for the team's 1985 season. After 12 games, Bates resigned as head coach following the club's failure to pay its players over the course of several preceding weeks.
was hired as the new head football coach for the University of Florida
in 1990, Spurrier hired Bates as his first defensive coordinator for his Florida Gators football
team. Bates' hard-hitting defense and Spurrier's offensive scheme helped the Gators to a 17–13 upset win over the Alabama Crimson Tide
, and resounding victories over the LSU Tigers
(34–8), the Auburn Tigers
(48–7), the Georgia Bulldogs (38–7) and the Kentucky Wildcats
(47–15). The Gators finished 9–2 overall, and 6–1 in the Southeastern Conference
—the best record in the conference.
as their defensive line coach in 1991. He then moved on to the Atlanta Falcons
to serve as defensive coordinator
in 1994, his first time at this position. It would only last one year, however, and Bates returned to the Browns to coach their secondary in 1995.
In 1996, Bates was hired by the Dallas Cowboys
as their linebackers coach. He was promoted to assistant coach/defensive line in 1998.
In 2000, the Miami Dolphins
hired him as their defensive coordinator.
head coach for the Miami Dolphins following the resignation of Dave Wannstedt
. He went 3-5 (including a Monday Night victory over the eventual Super Bowl
champion New England Patriots
) with the underachieving Dolphins. When new head coach Nick Saban
took over the team, it soon became clear that Bates was not part of his plans, and Bates took over the defensive coordinator job with the Green Bay Packers
.
was fired by Packers General Manager Ted Thompson
on January 2, 2006, Bates was offered the opportunity to interview for the head position. He interviewed on January 10 but was informed the next day the organization would be hiring San Francisco 49ers
offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy instead.
Bates took the news very hard. McCarthy met with him on January 15 in hopes of convincing him to stay with the organization. However, after two meetings between McCarthy and Bates, the team announced on January 16 that they would be parting ways.
Bates did not take another coaching job in the NFL in 2006.
as the defensive coordinator. However, Defensive Backs coach Bob Slowik
was promoted to the defensive coordinator position (nominal), and Bates was named "Assistant Head Coach/Defense." In the 2007 season, the Broncos defense went from 9th ranked in the league in scoring in 2006 to 29th in 2007 as of week 13. On January 8, 2008 Bates announced he was leaving the Denver Broncos.
. After a 1–9 start into the season, Bates was relieved of his duties by Morris on November 24, 2009.
s pressuring the quarterback
. Special emphasis is on the linebacker
s, as short, speedy LB's are especially fitted for this format. Linebacker Zach Thomas
and defensive end Jason Taylor
are among the players Bates developed in Miami. Bates is well liked among players for being a fiery, energetic, demanding, yet fair and hands-on coach.
, he now lives in Oneida, Wisconsin
. His son, Jeremy
, was the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks
. James, his oldest son, played linebacker for the 1996 national champion University of Florida Gators
.
Bates is a 1964 graduate of Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan
. He earned 10 varsity letters in 4 sports before accepting an offer to play football at Tennessee. Bates was recently named to the school's athletic hall of fame.
Bates currently resides in Florida
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, most recently serving as defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. He primarily ran a 4-3 scheme, using fast, undersized linebackers. Bates served as interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
during the 2004 NFL season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
.
Collegiate coaching
Bates’ coaching career began as a graduate assistant with the Tennessee VolunteersTennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
in 1968. Bates then spent the next three seasons as head coach at Sevier County High School in Sevierville, Tennessee
Sevierville, Tennessee
Sevierville is a city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the Southeastern United States. Its population was 11,757 at the 2000 United States Census; in 2004 the estimated population was 14,101. Sevierville is the county seat of Sevier County, Tennessee....
, before returning to the collegiate ranks with the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in 1972. In 1973, he coached the offensive line for the Villanova Wildcats
Villanova Wildcats football
The Villanova Wildcats football program represents Villanova University in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision . The Wildcats play at Villanova Stadium with capacity of 12,500.-History:...
and the linebackers coach in 1974. Bates spent the 1975-1976 seasons as the Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State Wildcats football
The Kansas State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference...
' linebackers coach. Bates spent the 1977 season as a secondary coach with the West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
. He held the same position with the Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
from 1978-1979 before being promoted to defensive coordinator from 1980 through 1983.
1985
Bates began his professional coaching career in the USFL with the San Antonio GunslingersSan Antonio Gunslingers
The San Antonio Gunslingers were a professional American football team based in San Antonio, Texas that played in the USFL in 1984 and 1985. Rick Neuheisel was the team's quarterback and only recognizable name. The team played in Alamo Stadium...
, replacing retiring head coach Gil Steinke for the team's 1985 season. After 12 games, Bates resigned as head coach following the club's failure to pay its players over the course of several preceding weeks.
1990
When Steve SpurrierSteve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
was hired as the new head football coach for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in 1990, Spurrier hired Bates as his first defensive coordinator for his Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team. Bates' hard-hitting defense and Spurrier's offensive scheme helped the Gators to a 17–13 upset win over the Alabama Crimson Tide
1990 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1990 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1990 college football season. The Crimson Tide was led by first-year head coach Gene Stallings, replacing Bill Curry who left for the University of Kentucky....
, and resounding victories over the LSU Tigers
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
(34–8), the Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
(48–7), the Georgia Bulldogs (38–7) and the Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
(47–15). The Gators finished 9–2 overall, and 6–1 in the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
—the best record in the conference.
1991-2004
Bates began his NFL coaching career with the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as their defensive line coach in 1991. He then moved on to the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to serve as defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
in 1994, his first time at this position. It would only last one year, however, and Bates returned to the Browns to coach their secondary in 1995.
In 1996, Bates was hired by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
as their linebackers coach. He was promoted to assistant coach/defensive line in 1998.
In 2000, the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
hired him as their defensive coordinator.
2004-2005
His first head coaching job in the NFL came in 2004 when he was named interimInterim
Interim is an album by British rock band The Fall, compiled from live and studio material and released in 2004. It features the first officially released versions of "Clasp Hands", "Blindness" and "What About Us?" — all of which were later included on the band's next studio album Fall Heads Roll —...
head coach for the Miami Dolphins following the resignation of Dave Wannstedt
Dave Wannstedt
Dave Wannstedt is current Assistant Head Coach/Inside Linebackers Coach for the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League. He was most recently head coach of the University of Pittsburgh football team, a position he held for six seasons. Wannstedt is also the former head coach of the Miami...
. He went 3-5 (including a Monday Night victory over the eventual Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
champion New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
) with the underachieving Dolphins. When new head coach Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
took over the team, it soon became clear that Bates was not part of his plans, and Bates took over the defensive coordinator job with the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.
2006
When Mike ShermanMike Sherman
Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles...
was fired by Packers General Manager Ted Thompson
Ted Thompson
Ted Thompson is the current general manager of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Thompson was named to the post on January 14, 2005, by Packers president and CEO Bob Harlan. Thompson took over the general manager duties from Mike Sherman, who had been serving as both head coach and general manager...
on January 2, 2006, Bates was offered the opportunity to interview for the head position. He interviewed on January 10 but was informed the next day the organization would be hiring San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy instead.
Bates took the news very hard. McCarthy met with him on January 15 in hopes of convincing him to stay with the organization. However, after two meetings between McCarthy and Bates, the team announced on January 16 that they would be parting ways.
Bates did not take another coaching job in the NFL in 2006.
2007
In early January 2007, Bates was signed on by the Denver Broncos to replace Larry CoyerLarry Coyer
Larry Coyer is the former defensive coordinator for the National Football League's Indianapolis Colts. Prior to holding this position, he was the Assistant head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Defensive Coordinator for the Denver Broncos.-Private life:Coyer was born in Huntington, West...
as the defensive coordinator. However, Defensive Backs coach Bob Slowik
Bob Slowik
Bob Slowik is the current defensive backs coach for the Washington Redskins, under head coach Mike Shanahan. He is a former defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears. Prior to his stint with the Bears he was a defensive assistant with the...
was promoted to the defensive coordinator position (nominal), and Bates was named "Assistant Head Coach/Defense." In the 2007 season, the Broncos defense went from 9th ranked in the league in scoring in 2006 to 29th in 2007 as of week 13. On January 8, 2008 Bates announced he was leaving the Denver Broncos.
2009
On January 22, 2009 he was announced as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defensive Coordinator, working with new head coach Raheem MorrisRaheem Morris
Raheem Morris is the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was hired by the Buccaneers as head coach on January 17, 2009 after previous head coach Jon Gruden was fired after seven seasons....
. After a 1–9 start into the season, Bates was relieved of his duties by Morris on November 24, 2009.
Scheme
Bates' defensive scheme uses the defensive tackles to plug the middle, with the defensive endDefensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
s pressuring the quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. Special emphasis is on the linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
s, as short, speedy LB's are especially fitted for this format. Linebacker Zach Thomas
Zach Thomas
Zachary Michael Thomas is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Tech....
and defensive end Jason Taylor
Jason Taylor (American football)
Jason Paul Taylor is an American football linebacker who currently plays for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft...
are among the players Bates developed in Miami. Bates is well liked among players for being a fiery, energetic, demanding, yet fair and hands-on coach.
Personal
A graduate of the University of TennesseeUniversity of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, he now lives in Oneida, Wisconsin
Oneida, Wisconsin
Oneida is an unincorporated community and former census-designated place in the town of Oneida, Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,070 at the 2000 census. At the census, part of the CDP lay within the town of Hobart, which has since incorporated as a village, in...
. His son, Jeremy
Jeremy Bates (American football)
Jeremy Bates is an American football coach. He is the former offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. He had previously served as quarterbacks coach for the NFL's Denver Broncos and the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator of the USC Trojans football team.-Personal life:His father,...
, was the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. James, his oldest son, played linebacker for the 1996 national champion University of Florida Gators
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
.
Bates is a 1964 graduate of Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan
Oxford, Michigan
Oxford is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,436 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Oxford Charter Township. The village occupies one square mile and is both politically and geographically a part of the township. The village calls itself...
. He earned 10 varsity letters in 4 sports before accepting an offer to play football at Tennessee. Bates was recently named to the school's athletic hall of fame.
Bates currently resides in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.