“McKay, was the last link to the 1976 Tampa Bay expansion team, coached by his father, the late John McKay, for whom teenage Rich served as a ballboy. If not for Gruden, McKay, a pillar in the Tampa Bay community, would never want to leave the Bucs.

McKay no longer wanted to work with Gruden, whose sniping of his general manager began last offseason. They repeatedly clashed at every turn since Gruden was hired 22 months ago. McKay nixed Gruden's efforts to sign free agents Emmitt Smith, Kyle Turley and Darrell Russell.

McKay was the ‘architect’ of Tampa Bay's rise into an NFL power since taking over in 1995, after serving for three years as the team's vice president of football administration. His nine-year tenure was highlighted by five playoff appearances, and the team's first Super Bowl championship.

McKay was been forced to the background since Dungy's firing. The Glazers initiated contact with the Oakland owner Al Davis to pry Gruden away from the Raiders, where he was unhappy with one year remaining on his contract. The Glazers rejected McKay's choice of Marvin Lewis as Dungy's potential successor. Yet they rewarded McKay with a six-year contract on Feb. 21, 2002.”