Raheem Morris may not be the Bucs defensive coordinator next season after all.

The Denver Broncos have asked permission to interview Morris for their head coaching job.

The Broncos fired coach Mike Shanahan on Tuesday after 14 seasons. Morris will interview with Broncos owner Pat Bowlen on Monday in Denver. The Broncos reportedly will have an informal interview with Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo Saturday in New York.

Morris, 32, was named the Bucs defensive coordinator for 2009 on Christmas Day, succeeding Monte Kiffin, who is joining his son Lane at Tennessee.

But Morris is considered a rising star in the coaching ranks and is a protege of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

The Bucs cannot block Morris or any assistant coach from interviewing for a head coaching job.

Kiffin had nothing but praise for Morris upon leaving the Bucs.

"Raheem is a very enthusiastic person, a very likeable person and will be good with the press,'' Kiffin said. "But that's not why he got the job. There are coaches like that but they can't really coordinate. But Raheem, he's ready. He deserves it, he's ready and he can do it. I know good coaches when I see them.

"I saw Pete Carroll at age 25 as a (graduate assistant) at the University of Arkansas. He was there about three weeks and Lou Holtz was the head coach. He asked, "How is that young guy doing, that G.A. for you?' I said, "Get to know him because he won't be here very long.' You can tell sometimes. I saw that with Mike Tomlin.''

Morris joined the Bucs in 2002 as a defensive quality control assistant. He was a defensive coordinator at Kansas State in 2006 but returned to coach the Bucs defensive backs in 2007.