_“Zach, baby, it’s 4th-and-3 with 1:49 remaining.”_
Not one, not two, but three voices have been in Todd Bowles’ ear on gamedays as trusted consultants on game-management decisions.
That was the case last season, and the way Bowles described it to Joe, man, it sounded like chaos.
That’s one reason why Bowles [set out this offseason](https://www.joebucsfan.com/2025/02/bucs-interviewing-for-a-full-time-game-management-coordinator/) to hire a full-time clock/game management guru. The goal was to streamline the process and improve results.
Bowles got his man.
The head coach confirmed to Joe yesterday that recently hired Zach Beistline, officially titled the Bucs’ new “director of football research,” will be Bowles’ go-to gameday consultant when it comes to guidance on clock management and situational decisions.
Joe appreciates that Bowles recognized the need to streamline and improve the operation, and that he attacked it head-on.
Beistline spent several years with the Jaguars, some in a very similar capacity that he’ll have with Bowles. Joe found a quote from former Jags head coach Urban Meyer calling Beistline “tremendous” on a decision to challenge a fumble in 2021.
A healthy handful of NFL teams have game/clock management gurus working full-time. Now the Bucs are in that group.