Morris will return to coach Bucs next season A lot of fans seemingly have lost faith in Raheem Morris' ability to lead the Bucs back to respectability, but the team's owners haven't lost faith in the 33-year-old head coach. In a move that should end the speculation regarding Morris' immediate future and the direction of the franchise, the Bucs announced late Monday that he will return as coach in 2010. "We are committed to the plan that we began 12 months ago with Coach Morris, and we look forward to building on the pieces that were put in place this season," Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer said. The announcement came several hours after Morris said the Bucs made progress in establishing an identity and momentum at the end of his 3-13 rookie season but admitted that a lot of work remains to be done. "I'll never tell you I've got it until I'm standing here with the Lombardi Trophy in my hand," Morris said. "Until then you've got to keep digging, keep scratching and clawing, keep grinding." For Morris, the grind already has begun. After addressing the media and his team and meeting with the Glazers on Monday, he began the process of evaluating players and his coaching staff. It will be at least a few days, if not a few weeks, before Morris and General Manager Mark Dominik decide what changes, if any, need to be made with the coaching staff. With concerns over his future out of the way, though, Morris is free again to continue focusing on the rebuilding project he started nearly a year ago when he purged the Bucs of most of their aging veterans. The development of franchise quarterback Josh Freeman is one of the cornerstones of that rebuilding project, and Freeman remains the top priority heading into the offseason, Morris said. "As far as priorities go, it's about No. 5," Morris said. "It starts with him, and making sure everything works around him, because when it worked around him this year we were successful." Freeman was 3-6 as a rookie starter, and improving the talent around him is Morris' second objective. The Bucs plan to do that primarily through the draft and they have a good chance to make some headway there. After finishing 30th overall, the Bucs are slated to pick third. They have three picks in the first two rounds and five of the first 99 picks overall. The Bucs' 20-10 season-ending loss to the Falcons, in which they surrendered 183 yards rushing while gaining only 38, is an indication those picks could be used to beef up the offensive and defensive fronts. Morris wasn't ready to commit to that Monday, though. Like changes in personnel and staff, he will take his time evaluating the situation before deciding on a direction. "That's part of what this next month is about," Morris said. "You have to find out where the holes are and evaluate the college tape and then see what the best fit is for us." To fit with the Bucs now, a player has to be physically tough and willing to play hard through adversity. Those are the characteristics that best defined the 2009 team, Morris said. "When (you) turn on the tape of my team and watch them play down the stretch, you see nothing but hard, tough play," Morris said. "You see those guys never quit. "And with the exception of two games I keep remembering, they were in almost every one. They fought in almost every one. They played hard in almost every one, and not just one individual player, but all of them. That's the one thing you have to be proud of when you look at your tape. I would compare our toughness and how hard we play with just about anybody in the National Football League." Roy Cummings, The Tampa Tribune 5 January 2010