Marcus West arrives to bolster Tampa Bay's defensive line. Can he reignite a unit seeking lost dominance and mold emerging talent?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have hired a new defensive line coach.
Less than a year after hiring Charlie Strong, Tampa is hiring former Buffalo Bills assistant Marcus West for the job, according to multiple reports.
West had been the Bills' DL coach for two seasons after spending the previous two in Buffalo as the assistant DL coach.
The Bills recently fired head coach Sean McDermott after 10 seasons.
Although the team promoted from within by hiring former offensive coordinator Joe Brady to replace McDermott, West either wasn't retained by Brady or is deciding to move on. Buffalo's defensive line struggled in 2025, as only five teams allowed more rushing yards per game. Pro Football Focus ranked the Bills' defensive line right in the middle of the pack at 16th, which is a far cry from Pro Football Focus' preseason ranking, which had Buffalo in the top five.
To be fair, Buffalo's DL was heavily impacted by injuries. Ed Oliver missed 14 games with a torn bicep. DeWayne Carter missed the full season with a torn Achilles. Michael Hoecht went on injured reserve in early November, and Daequan Jones missed five games due to injury. West himself dealt with adversity, experiencing an undisclosed medical issue during the team's Nov. 9 game against Miami.
The Bills' run defense was much better in 2024, ranking 13th in the league in rushing yards per game.
Before Buffalo, West spent three seasons at the University of Charlotte, where he was the defensive line coach, along with the co-defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. At Charlotte, he helped defensive end Alex Highsmith develop into an All-American and third-round draft pick.
Today, Highsmith is one of the most important players on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tampa Bay's defensive line is in an interesting period.
Vita Vea is a team leader, but is now in his 30s. 25-year-old Kalijah Cancey is much younger, but has been injury-prone throughout his career.
Tampa has a quality defensive end in YaYa Diaby, but not much depth behind him, and all of this has led some to believe Tampa will target the defensive line in the first round of April's draft.
Here's West's full coaching resume.
2024-25: Buffalo Bills (DL)
2022-23: Buffalo Bills (Assistant DL)
2019-21: Charlotte (AHC/Co-DC/DL)
2018: Minnesota (DL Pass Rush Specialist)
2016-17: Austin Peay (AHC/Co-DC/DL)
2009-15: Chattanooga (DL)
2008: Wartburg (DL).
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