TAMPA, Fla. The Buccaneers are counting on Greg Schiano to lead them back to respectability and transform Tampa Bay into consistent winners - much in the same way he made Rutgers matter again.

The 45-year-old former Scarlet Knights coach was hired Thursday, more than three weeks after the Bucs fired Raheem Morris following a 4-12 finish.

The team scheduled a press conference for Friday to introduce Schiano, who inherits a team that allowed the most points in the NFL this season.

Schiano was at Rutgers for 11 seasons, taking them from college football laughingstocks to a program that has had winning records in six of the last seven years. He was an assistant coach in the NFL with Chicago from 1996-98.

The Bucs fired Morris on Jan. 2 after Tampa Bay lost 10 straight games to end the season, most of them by double-digit margins. The collapse following a promising 4-2 start came only a year after the NFL's youngest team went 10-6 and narrowly missed the playoffs.

The Glazer family that owns the team interviewed at least 10 candidates for the opening, including Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski.

Around The League

INDIANAPOLIS: Jim Irsay expects Peyton Manning to keep his complaints to himself. Or at least within the confines of the Colts' team complex.

Shortly after introducing Chuck Pagano as Indianapolis' new coach, the team owner responded to the comments Manning made earlier this week by referring to the only four-time league MVP as a "politician."

Manning explained that the environment at team headquarters was not the best and said people were nervous because of the major offseason overhaul that has already claimed the jobs of vice chairman Bill Polian, general manager Chris Polian, coach Jim Caldwell and most of his assistants.

NFL: Players at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii are being encouraged to use Twitter during the game, an action that cost one player $25,000 in fines two years ago.

OAKLAND: An Alabama man who was allegedly assaulted by Rolando McClain and another man has sued the Oakland Raiders linebacker alleging "brutal and prolonged assault and battery."

Bloomberg