Tag: Bruce Arians

Bruce Arians gave Black coaches real opportunities and won for it. The NFL should take note

This is what real action looks like.

The timing behind Bruce Arians’ decision to retire from coaching has raised more than a few eyebrows. 

The NFL coaching carousel has long been over and the offseason is in full swing, with free agency behind us and the draft soon coming.

The most significant thing to happen with the Bucs in the meantime is their Hall of Fame quarterback retiring – and then deciding to cut his retirement short. Surely, Tom Brady had something to do with Arians’ decision to step away?

Well, it turns out he did actually, Arians confirmed Thursday at his retirement press conference. But not for the reasons most had assumed.

“Thought about [retiring] after the season but, again, it wasn’t right,” Arians said with Brady in the front row. “Obviously, going through the combine, going through all that process, trying to build next year’s team without Tom. And then when Tom said he’d come back, I was like ‘now it’s easy. Now it’s easy.’ We’re in the best shape we’ve ever been. It’s no better time to pass the torch than now.”

And that torch is being passed to defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, a longtime colleague of Arians and someone the coach thought should’ve landed a head coaching job after Tampa won the Super Bowl two years ago. Bowles will be just the fourth Black head coach in a league that has obvious problems giving Black candidates equal opportunities. 

Arians never had that problem. All of his lead coordinators in Tampa were Black, including Bowles, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, assistant head coach and run game coordinator Harold Goodwin and special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong.

As Arians noted at the press conference, he could’ve stuck around to chase individual accolades – such as another Super Bowl – on a team primed to make another run. Instead, he’s giving that opportunity to Bowles, who might have never received a second chance after his time with the New York Jets, a team that was never built to win to begin with.

“A number of people have already asked, ‘Why are you stepping away from the chance to go to the Hall of Fame and win another Super Bowl?'” Arians said. “Because I don’t give a [expletive] about the Hall of Fame. Succession is way more important to me. This has been my dream for a long time. Guys that know me, they knew I wanted one of my guys to take over, and that’s more important to me than anything.”

Arians’ motivations for retiring will remain in question for some, but his succession plan is nonetheless noble and something other teams and coaches should take note of. He most notably used his position of power, with both Tampa and with the Arizona Cardinals, to hire several Black coaches to high-profile positions, allowing them to gain visibility for promotion within the league.

Tampa’s coaching switch is a unique one and can’t be easily replicated everywhere. However, simply giving Black coaches real opportunities can be. For Arians, it led to a 80-48-1 career record – not including his 9-3 record as interim coach in Indianapolis – with four playoff appearances, including two in three years with a Super Bowl title in Tampa.

“Mostly, I gotta thank the coaches. Man, you guys did it all,” Arians said. “I mean, I really didn’t do [expletive]. I just led the ship, but you guys did it all.”

The rest of the NFL should take note.

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Mike Lombardi doesn’t believe Tom Brady forced Bruce Arians into retirement

According to Tom Brady and Bruce Arians, there are no issues.

Something felt off to the masses when Bruce Arians abruptly announced his retirement following the return of Tom Brady.

The duo reportedly had tension and speculation spread that Brady’s retirement was related to it. After a month away from the game, the 44-year-old said he was coming back and then boom — Arians is getting ready to play golf and enjoy life after football.

The timing just felt odd.

Both Brady and Arians have come out publicly and denied any strained relationship between the two. Longtime NFL general manager Mike Lombardi spoke on his podcast “The GM Shuffle” about the situation and he doesn’t believe Brady forced Arians out.

“This one shocked me, only in the sense of the timing,” Lombardi said, transcribed by WEEI. “Bruce was at the combine talking about Brady’s not coming back and was extolling the virtues of Blaine Gabbert. And at the owners meeting he wasn’t in the team coaching picture, he left early, it just doesn’t make sense why – and it’s going to add to a bunch of conspiracy theories.

“I just don’t think Brady was on the sixth floor of the depository waiting for Bruce to turn around on Elm Street to come down and be in a triangular configuration. I think that’s a lot of nonsense.I just think Bruce probably felt like it was time to play more golf, if that’s even possible.”

Brady will now play under Todd Bowles with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that keeps getting stronger.

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Bruce Arians rejects reports of friction with Tom Brady amid resignation

“People gotta write (expletive).”

It’s not hard to connect the dots between reports of friction between Tom Brady and Bruce Arians, the retirement and return of Brady and the resignation of Arians. But don’t do it — according to Arians.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach spoke to reporters on Thursday after the team announced he would move to the front office so Todd Bowles could take over as head coach. Arians addressed the rumors of friction — and the theories that Brady might have forced out the coach.

“People gotta write (expletive),” Arians told the media. “And it couldn’t be further from the truth.”

He also said: “Every one of them (players) has gotten cussed out, including (Brady). That’s just part of me. That’s nothing new. But we have a great relationship. As soon as he retired, I think we texted every week. ‘Hey, where you at? What are you doing? When are you coming to play golf? When are you coming back down this way?’

Brady thanked Arians in an Instagram statement following the Buccaneers’ announcement of the decision.

“You are an incredible man and coach, and it was a privilege to play for you. You are a true NFL legend and pioneer for all the work you have done to make the league more diverse and inclusive,” Brady wrote.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbv6zGorIZv/

Arians and Brady are here to tell you they’re OK — whether you’ll believe them or not.

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Bruce Arians retires from coaching

Bruce Arians stepped down as the Bucs head coach on Wednesday night.

Former Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks coach and interim head coach Bruce Arians announced that he has retired from coaching and will be taking a front office role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Arians has been the head coach of the Bucs for the past three seasons, which included a victory in Super Bowl LV over the Kansas City Chiefs. Here is his announcement from Wednesday night:

“I have spent most of the last 50 years of my life on the sidelines as a football coach in one form or another. Today, I have made the decision to move from the sidelines into another role with the Buccaneers front office, assisting Jason Licht and his staff.

“I love football. I love the relationships, the strategy, the competition—everything. It has been one hell of a ride, but I know this is the right time for me to make this transition.

“So why now?

“The simple answer is that I have accomplished more than I ever dreamed I could during this incredible coaching journey. Winning Super Bowl LV at our home stadium, with my mom and family in attendance, was really the last item I wanted to check off my career bucket list. For me, this is about more than just trying to add more wins to my coaching record.

“This team is in a much better place than it was three years ago due to Jason’s great work and the Glazer family’s commitment to winning. Before you start thinking this is about my health, don’t. This is the best I have felt in many years and I’m looking forward to helping this team continue winning through my new role.

“I want to focus on what I can give back to this incredible game that has provided so much for me and my family. I really began thinking about my personal transition plan earlier this offseason. I wanted to ensure when I walked away that Todd Bowles would have the best opportunity to succeed. So many head coaches come into situations where they are set up for failure, and I didn’t want that for Todd. Tom’s decision to come back, along with Jason and his staff doing another great job of keeping the core of this team intact during free agency, confirmed for me that it was the right time to pass the torch to Todd. I began conversations with Jason and the Glazer family a few weeks ago about a possible succession plan. Their understanding and support mean the world to me.

“Todd is a great football coach and I know he will do excellent things here with the Buccaneers. The coaching staff has been crucial to the success we have enjoyed here the past few seasons. Coaching is about teaching players, and this staff has some of the best teachers in the business.

“Professionally, I have been blessed to work for many great organizations. I’d like to thank Michael Bidwell for turning my dream of being an NFL head coach into a reality in 2013. I would especially like to acknowledge the entire Glazer family for bringing me to Tampa Bay in 2019 and providing all the support and vision a coach could ask for. None of this success would have been possible without their complete buy-in and backing.

“There are too many people who have played a part in my coaching career to mention them all now. To all of them, I say: Thank You. I could not have made it here without your support, hard work and belief in me.

“I can’t end this announcement without a nod to all of the players I have been fortunate to coach along the way. I have been part of some special teams and those are always composed of exceptional players who put the needs of the team before their own. They made me a better coach and a better leader.

“Lastly, I want to thank the fans of Tampa Bay for their unwavering support over these past three years. Chris and I arrived here in 2019 and were blown away by their enthusiasm and passion. I am happy we got to share that Super Bowl season together and I look forward to contributing to even more championship moments with this special organization.

“Go Bucs!

Arians was the quarterbacks coach for Peyton Manning for three seasons(1998-2000) and made his return to Indy under Chuck Pagano’s coaching staff in 2012. He holds a special place in the heart of Colts fans after he stepped in for Pagano during the latter’s battle with cancer in 2012.

He helped lead the Colts to an 11-5 record with rookie quarterback Andrew Luck and eventually became the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals (2013-2017).

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Bruce Arians surprises with retirement, here’s his final record against the Saints

Bruce Arians surprises with retirement, here’s his final record against New Orleans Saints as a head coach, via @DillySanders:

Super Bowl-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians stepped down in a move to the Bucs front office, much to the surprise of the football world, tapping defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to replace him. Arians has been in the NFL for 30 seasons, and while only a head coach for eight years, he won a Super Bowl in 2020. He also coached tight ends for the New Orleans Saints in 1996. He’s experienced a lot of success, but not against against the Saints in 10 meetings (of course, none of Tampa Bay’s coaches have done well against the Saints). Let’s break it down and see what happened at both of his stops:

Tom Brady probably isn’t heartbroken about Bruce Arians no longer being his coach

Tom Brady is probably happy this morning.

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

Last night the NFL world got some more surprising news – in what has been a crazy offseason FULL of surprising news – that Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians was stepping down as head coach and moving into the front office as a senior football consultant and that Todd Bowles would be the new head coach.

And just like that, Tom Brady has a new coach and he doesn’t seem to be all that bothered about it.

Which says a lot.

Brady posted a nice note on social media last night about Arians, praising him for all that he taught Brady during their two years together and all that they accomplished during their brief stint together.

I’m sure some of it was sincere but I also think a bunch of it was just PR stuff. Remember, not long ago Brady posted an emotional note about his football career and all that everyone who helped him out meant to him. Then 41 days later he came back to the NFL.

Arians, by the way, replied to Brady’s post with a simple “Thanks brotha” and an emoji of a glass a booze. Gotta love it when old people break out the emojis.

I’m not going to go full conspiracy theory here and say Brady forced Arians out. But I have to believe that there were things that Brady wasn’t a fan of about just the second coach he’s ever had in his NFL career and he’s more than happy to have Bowles as his new boss.

Brady was a big supporter of Antonio Brown and you’d have to think he didn’t like how that whole thing ended or how Arians handled it.

Also, under Arians the Bucs committed a ton of undisciplined penalties that often led to Brady yelling at his teammates.

Now with Arians out, Brady and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich can get things done without having another voice jumping in the mix.

Bowles, who has been the Bucs’ defensive coordinator since 2019, is a perfect fit for this job and should have no problem keeping the Bucs in the mix for the Super Bowl this upcoming season.

The biggest sign that Brady probably likes this move is that the Tampa Bay Times reported that the QB found out about it either the day he announced his return or the day after. The fact that he didn’t blink at losing a coach who he won a Super Bowl seems to be a big tell about how he felt about Arians.

Brady and Bowles now get a chance to lead the Bucs back to a Super Bowl and you have to believe the GOAT likes his chances, especially with this change at the top.

The drama never stops in the NFL.

You gotta love it.

Quick hits: Eric Church fans furious because of UNC-Duke… College ump’s horrendous call… NFL version of Wordle… And more. 

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for ACM)

– Country star Eric Church canceled a concert this Saturday night so he can watch the UNC-Duke game and fans of his are furious.

– A college umpire enforced the dumbest rule to call a Florida batter out on strikes.

– Weddle is the NFL version of Wordle and it’s pretty great.

– You need to sign up for our new daily NBA newsletter Layup Lines. It gets you ready every afternoon for the big games coming up at night and more. Signing up for it is quick and easy to do right here. You’re going to want this in your basketball lives.

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Former Washington defensive back Todd Bowles is the new head coach of the Buccaneers

Todd Bowles spent seven of his eight NFL seasons in Washington.

Todd Bowles is finally getting his second chance as a head coach. After Bruce Arians unexpectedly retired Wednesday, Tampa Bay named Bowles — Tampa’s defensive coordinator for the last three seasons — the team’s new head coach.

This time, expect it to go much better than the first time. Bowles, a former defensive back with the Washington Redskins, coached the New York Jets from 2015-18, where he went 24-40. Many coaches have struggled to win with the Jets, so it was a matter of time before Bowles received another opportunity.

Bowles and Arians go way back. Arians was the head coach at Temple, where Bowles was a four-year starter at cornerback.

Years later, Bowles would become Arians’ defensive coordinator when he received his first chance as an NFL head coach with the Arizona Cardinals. Bowles was hired by the Jets after two years in Arizona.

After Bowles was dismissed by the Jets, Arians returned to coaching and hired his longtime protege to once again serve as his defensive coordinator.

Tampa Bay’s defense was among the best in the NFL over the last two seasons with Bowles in charge.

Undrafted out of Temple in 1986, Bowles would spend eight seasons in the NFL, including two stints with Washington. He entered the league with Washington in 1986, where he spent the first five seasons of his career and was a part of one Super Bowl championship team.

Bowles spent the 1991 season with the 49ers before returning in 1992. He played all of 1992 in Washington but was released during final cuts in 1993, ending his playing career.

Congratulations to Coach Bowles.

 

Panthers’ Matt Rhule now NFC South’s longest-tenured HC

With Bruce Arians retiring from the sidelines, Matt Rhule is now the longest-tenured HC in the NFC South. Wild, huh?

It felt as if Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule was hanging onto his job by the scrawniest of threads following the 2021 season. And, quite frankly, that still may be the case.

But now, the man who had almost no footing just two months ago is the last one standing in the NFC South—at least since he arrived.

On Wednesday night, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced Bruce Arians has stepped down as their head coach. The 69-year-old, who will move to a role in the team’s front office, has been replaced by now former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

So, what does this have to do with Rhule? Well, Arians’ retirement from the sidelines has effectively made Rhule the longest-tenured head coach in the division.

After leading the Panthers to a combined 10-23 record over his first two seasons, with an active seven-game losing streak going into 2022, Rhule will enter his third campaign in Carolina as the elder statesman of the South. As for the other two foes—the New Orleans Saints have elevated their defensive coordinator Dennis Allen following Sean Payton’s retirement while Arthur Smith is set to embark on his sophomore year heading the Atlanta Falcons.

Arians leaves his post having gone 5-1 against the Panthers in his three-year tenure with the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay outscored Carolina 196 to 114 in those matchups.

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Tom Brady posts message of thanks to Bruce Arians

Tom Brady paid tribute to departing coach Bruce Arians

Tom Brady, master of social media, stepped up again on Wednesday after news broke Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians was stepping down and becoming a Senior Football Consultant for the NFC South champs.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbv6zGorIZv/

Brady’s classy message and tribute:

tombrady
Verified

Thank you, BA for all that you have done for me and our team. You are an incredible man and coach, and it was a privilege to play for you. You are a true NFL legend and pioneer for all the work you have done to make the league more diverse and inclusive.

Smart, tough, and loyal are a few of the words to describe your style. I will always remember the conversations we had when you recruited me two years ago and all of the things we discussed came true 💯.  We all benefited from your leadership and guidance and I’m so proud of everything we accomplished. You were a huge part of the decision to join the Bucs and I’m forever grateful.

I’m so happy you will spend the much-deserved time with your loving and supportive family that has given so much to our communities. Congratulations on an amazing coaching career but more importantly, how you positively impacted me and everyone else in the game of football ❤️❤️❤️

The coach responded:

brucearians
Verified
Thanks brotha 🥃
Arians will be replaced by defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.