5 things to know about new Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales

A few things to know about Dave Canales, who replaces Byron Leftwich as Bucs offensive coordinator:

• Born in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Harbor City, he was a three-sport athlete (football, baseball, track) and honor student at Carson High, and later began his coaching career as his alma mater’s freshman/sophomore coach in 2004.

• He played four seasons at Azusa Pacific, then an NAIA program in Azusa, California. A receiver and two-time captain, Canales totaled 27 catches for 293 yards and a touchdown, graduating in 2003 with a degree in business administration.

• A 41-year-old dad of four, Canales met his wife, Lizzy, at an on-campus Bible study at Azusa Pacific.

• He landed his first big coaching break while special teams/tight ends coach at El Camino College, a two-year program in Alondra Park, California. During his three years at El Camino, he worked summer football camps at USC, befriending then-Trojans offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. In 2009, then-USC coach Pete Carroll hired him as an assistant strength coach and video assistant.

• In 2010, Canales followed Carroll to Seattle, where he has served in five different roles (offensive quality control, assistant quarterbacks coach, receivers coach, quarterbacks coach, offensive pass-game coordinator) over the last 13 seasons. He was assistant quarterbacks coach when the Seahawks won Super Bowl 48 in 2014. As pass-game coordinator in 2020, Canales watched Russell Wilson set single-season franchise records in touchdown passes (40), completions (384) and completion percentage (68.8); while Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf both posted 1,000-yard receiving seasons. As quarterbacks coach this past season, he oversaw the resurgence of veteran Geno Smith, who led the NFL in completion percentage (69.8) and had the fifth-best passer rating (100.9).

Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls

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