USF close to adding Bucs defensive assistant Paul Spicer

USF is believed to be close to hiring Paul Spicer, who has spent the past four seasons as Buccaneers assistant defensive line coach, for a similar vacancy on its staff.

Spicer, who spent the majority of his decade-long NFL playing career with the Jaguars, spent the past four seasons with the Bucs. He arrived during the Lovie Smith tenure and was retained by Dirk Koetter, assisting three d-line coaches during that span: Joe Cullen, Jay Hayes and Brentson Buckner.

The Bucs totaled 38 sacks in 2016, when Cullen and Spicer oversaw the d-line, before that total plummeted to 22 (on Hayes' watch) the following year. They again tallied 38 sacks last season, with former Bulls standout Jason Pierre-Paul recording a team-best 12.5.

Before arriving in Tampa Bay, Spicer, 43, spent two seasons in the same capacity with the Jaguars, for whom he played from 2000-08. He totaled 7.5 sacks for Jacksonville in 2005, when it reached the AFC playoffs.

Spicer would replace defensive ends coach Damon Cogdell, who wasn't retained following the '18 season. Bulls coach Charlie Strong also is seeking replacements for defensive backs coach Blue Adams, who also wasn't retained; and safeties coach Tommy Restivo, now the co-defensive coordinator at Massachusetts.