Saints Head Coach Sean Payton and Tampa Bay Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coord. George Warhop served on the same staff with Dallas from 2003/04...Buccaneers QB Ryan Griffin was a four-year starter at Tulane from 2009-12 and originally signed as an undrafted free agent with New Orleans in 2013, spending two seasons with the club. Saints Linebackers Coach Mike Nolan and Tampa Bay Head Coach Dirk Koetter were both coordinators for Buccaneers Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith when he was Falcons head coach during a period spanning from 2012-14 when Nolan first arrived in Atlanta as defensive coordinator, also serving on the same Atlanta staff with Tampa Bay Assistant Wide Receivers/Game Management Andrew Weidinger. Nolan and Smith also served on the same staff in Baltimore from 2001-02. Saints S Rafael Bush played for Smith in Atlanta in 2010. Tampa Bay CB Brent Grimes was tutored by Nolan in Atlanta in 2012. Grimes and Saints FB John Kuhn were teammates at Shippensburg (Pa.). Kuhn and Tampa Bay C Evan Smith were teammates in Green Bay from 200913...Tampa Bay Def. Backs Coach Brett Maxie played
safety for New Orleans from 1985-93 and also served on the same coaching staff with Saints Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen in Atlanta from 2004-06...Tampa Bay TE Cameron Brate spent one week of the 2015 season on the New Orleans practice squad...Saints Director of Player Engagement Fred McAfee played for Tampa Bay in 1999, where he was a teammate of Buccaneers Dir. of Football Operations Shelton Quarles...Tampa Bay College Scout Tony Kinkela served as director/football operations at Tulane from 2006-08...New Orleans Asst. Special Teams Coach Kevin O'Dea first served on the Buccaneers staff from 1996-2001 and then served as special teams coordinator in from 2014-15. In addition to serving on the same Tampa Bay staff in 2015, O'Dea and Tampa Bay Quarterbacks Coach Mike Bajakian and Running Backs Coach Tim Spencer were on the same Chicago staff. O'Dea and Saints Asst. Offensive Line Coach Brendan Nugent also served on Chicago staffs with Buccaneers Secondary Coach Jon Hoke...New Orleans Senior Offensive Asst./ Wide Receivers Curtis Johnson and Tampa Bay Def. Line Coach Jay Hayes were teammates at Idaho from 198081…Buccaneers LB Kwon Alexander played at LSU from 2012-14...Tampa Bay LB Kendell Beckwith prepped at East Feliciana HS and also played for the Tigers...New Orleans Asst. Def. Line Coach Paul Spicer was a member of the Saints in 2009 and served as defensive line coach at Jackson State in 2013...Saints DE George Johnson was originally signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers in 2010 and played for them for five seasons, his most recent stint from 2015-16...Saints Asst. Wide Receivers Coach Ronald Curry and Buccaneers Tight Ends Coach Ben Steele were teammates in Oakland in 2002...Buccaneers Special Teams Coord. Nate Kazcor served as an assistant on the offensive side of the ball at Louisiana-Monroe from 2006-07 and also served on the same Idaho staff with Saints Running Backs Coach Joel Thomas from 2004-05...Saints QB Drew Brees and Buccaneers Asst. Special Teams Coach Carlos Polk were teammates in San Diego from 2001-05...New Orleans Area Scout Jon Sandusky and Tampa Bay Dir. of Player Personnel John Spytek served on the same personnel staffs in Philadelphia and Cleveland...Tampa Bay T Demar Dotson is an Alexandria native who played at Southern Mississippi...New Orleans DT John Hughes III played for Tampa Bay in 2016...New Orleans C Max Unger and Tampa Bay DT Clinton McDonald were teammates in Seattle from 2011-13...Tampa Bay Off. Coord./Wide Receivers Coach Todd Monken served on the Louisiana Tech Staff in 2000, served as passing game coord./wide receivers coach at LSU from 2005-06 and served as Head Coach at Southern Mississippi from 2013-15, where he coached New Orleans rookie C Cameron Tom...New Orleans S Vonn Bell, CB Marshon Lattimore, WR Michael Thomas and Tampa Bay DE Noah Spence were teammates at Ohio State.
Saints
**

New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Connections**

• Saints Head Coach Sean Payton and Tampa Bay Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator George Warhop served on the same staff with Dallas from 2003-04.

• Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Griffin was a four-year starter at Tulane from 2009-12 and originally signed as an undrafted free agent with New Orleans in 2013, spending two seasons with the club. 

• Saints linebackers coach Mike Nolan and Tampa Bay head coach Dirk Koetter were both coordinators for Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith when he was Falcons head coach during a period spanning from 2012-14. When Nolan first arrived in Atlanta as defensive coordinator, also serving on the same Atlanta staff with Tampa Bay assistant wide receivers/game management Andrew Weidinger. Nolan and Smith also served on the same staff in Baltimore from 2001-02. Saints safety Rafael Bush played for Smith in Atlanta in 2010. Tampa Bay cornerback Brent Grimes was tutored by Nolan in Atlanta in 2012. Grimes and Saints fullback John Kuhn were teammates at Shippensburg (Pa.). Kuhn and Tampa Bay center Evan Smith were teammates in Green Bay from 2009-13.

• Tampa Bay defensive backs coach Brett Maxie played safety for New Orleans from 1985-93 and also served on the same coaching staff with Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen in Atlanta from 2004-06.

• Tampa Bay tight end Cameron Brate spent one week of the 2015 season on the New Orleans practice squad.

• Saints director of player engagement, Fred McAfee, played for Tampa Bay in 1999, where he was a teammate of Buccaneers Dir. of Football Operations Shelton Quarles.

• Tampa Bay college scout, Tony Kinkela, served as director/football operations at Tulane from 2006-08.

• New Orleans assistant special teams coach Kevin O'Dea first served on the Buccaneers staff from 1996-2001 and then served as special teams coordinator in from 2014-15. In addition to serving on the same Tampa Bay staff in 2015, O'Dea and Tampa Bay quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian and running backs Coach Tim Spencer were on the same Chicago staff. O'Dea and Saints asst. offensive line coach Brendan Nugent also served on Chicago staffs with Buccaneers secondary coach Jon Hoke.

• New Orleans senior offensive asst./wide receivers Curtis Johnson and Tampa Bay def. line coach Jay Hayes were teammates at Idaho from 1980-81.

• Buccaneers linebacker Kwon Alexander played at LSU from 2012-14.

• Tampa Bay linebacker Kendell Beckwith prepped at East Feliciana HS and also played for the Tigers.

• New Orleans assistant defensive line coach Paul Spicer was a member of the Saints in 2009 and served as defensive line coach at Jackson State in 2013.

• Saints defensive end George Johnson was originally signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers in 2010 and played for them for five seasons, his most recent stint from 2015-16.

• Saints assistant wide receivers coach Ronald Curry and Buccaneers tight ends coach Ben Steele were teammates in Oakland in 2002.

• Buccaneers special teams coordinators, Nate Kazcor served as an assistant on the offensive side of the ball at Louisiana-Monroe from 2006-07 and also served on the same Idaho staff with Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas from 2004-05.

• Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Buccaneers assistant special teams coach Carlos Polk were teammates in San Diego from 2001-05.

• New Orleans area scout Jon Sandusky and Tampa Bay Dir. of Player Personnel John Spytek served on the same personnel staffs in Philadelphia and Cleveland.

• Tampa Bay tackle Demar Dotson is an Alexandria native who played at Southern Mississippi.

• New Orleans defensive end John Hughes III played for Tampa Bay in 2016.

• New Orleans center Max Unger and Tampa Bay defensive tackle Clinton McDonald were teammates in Seattle from 2011-13.

• Tampa Bay offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Todd Monken served on the Louisiana Tech Staff in 2000, served as passing game coord./wide receivers coach at LSU from 2005-06 and served as Head Coach at Southern Mississippi from 2013-15, where he coached New Orleans rookie center Cameron Tom.

• New Orleans safety Vonn Bell, cornerback Marshon Lattimore, wide receiver Michael Thomas and Tampa Bay defensive end Noah Spence were teammates at Ohio State.