The Buccaneers-Bruce Arians noise produced the conclusion many expected. The two-time coach of the year is heading to Tampa Bay, as first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Bucs have since confirmed the hire via press release.
“Bruce Arians is one of the NFL’s most well-respected coaches over the past two decades and we are excited to have him leading our team,” Buccaneers owner Bryan Glazer said in a statement. “Throughout this process, we focused on finding the right coach with a proven ability to elevate our players and lead our team forward. Bruce has played a large role in the development and career success of some of our league’s best players and we look forward to seeing him continue that work here with our franchise.”
This will be a four-year deal with a team option for a fifth season, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. And Arians wants to bring some of his former Cardinals assistants with him. Byron Leftwich, Harold Goodwin and Clyde Christensen — an Arians coworker with the Colts — will be brought on board and Todd Bowles has already agreed to become the team’s defensive coordinator. Bowles was Arians’ DC for two seasons with the Cardinals.
Arians-to-Tampa gained steam over the past few days, and it turns out the former Cardinals coach’s retirement was brief. Arians is now going to rejoin former Cards personnel exec Jason Licht with the Bucs and be in charge of determining what can be coaxed from Jameis Winston, whom he’s known since the passer’s high school days.
The Bucs had initial concerns about the 66-year-old Arians’ health, per Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com (Twitter link). This required a physical. But they are satisfied with the results. That, and language in Arians’ Arizona contract — which contained a 2019 option — represent cleared hurdles now, Darlington notes. Of note: Arians is the oldest HC hire in NFL history, surpassing a 64-year-old Dick Vermeil.
Arians interviewed for the Tampa Bay job on Saturday morning and outflanked everyone else on the meeting list in terms of experience. The 2012 and ’14 coach of the year, the first coming when he was the Colts’ OC who took over for a cancer-stricken Chuck Pagano, Arians has guided three teams to the playoffs — that Colts team and two Cardinals squads. Armed with the NFL’s No. 1 offense, Arizona advanced to the 2015 NFC championship game under Arians. They produced a top-10 attack in 2016 as well. After Arians’ retirement, the Cardinals fell off quickly. They hired Kliff Kingsbury today to replace Steve Wilks, who oversaw the team’s descent from 8-8 to 3-13.
Spending the 2018 season as a CBS analyst, Arians initially said the only job he would come out of retirement to take was the Browns’ position. But Cleveland did not reciprocate the interest. Tampa Bay did and was the only team to interview Arians. The sides were believed to have only begun negotiations Tuesday, and they progressed quickly.
Arians will now be tasked with ending the NFC’s longest playoff drought. The Bucs have not qualified for a bracket since 2007, in Jon Gruden‘s penultimate season, and have fired five coaches since that happened.
Licht announced last week that the candidate who won the race to replace Dirk Koetter was going to work with Winston. Despite the quarterback’s off-field issues and interception troubles, he figures to have his best chance at showing he’s a capable starter under Arians. In Arizona, Arians resurrected Carson Palmer‘s career and pushed him to a near-MVP performance in 2015. Arians received his 2014 coach of the year honor for steering the Cards to 11-5 after losing Palmer and Drew Stanton to injuries.
The Bucs also employ Mike Evans, O.J. Howard and Chris Godwin on offense, and the team wants to bring back Adam Humphries to retain one of the franchise’s best-ever skill-position groups — one that is more well-rounded than the David Johnson-less contingent Arians had in his final Arizona season.
Bowles has also received interest from the Redskins, interviewing with Washington on Tuesday, but another job with Arians figures to be enticing.
Why did he retire then
He was dealing with health issues but clearly missed the game and couldn’t stay away. You see it with guys in sports from time to time. Probably doesn’t make things better that the Cardinals were spiraling downward.
“This is my last game”
…….until his next game.
I have no problem with him moving on if he’s honest about it. he wasn’t honest with his team or the fan base. Hell, here in AZ he had people believing that continuing was dangerous to his health and it was time to spend time with family. Basically he jumped a sinking ship.
Have you never seen anyone overcome an illness or disease?! People who do overcome health issues are allowed to go back and do what they love once medically cleared… he had to get a physical and medical clearance to coach again… ignorant comment smh
He didn’t know himself that he could still do it. The year off helped him make the decision as did the availability of a few of his former assistant coaches. I could see something similar in New York if the Jets hire Caldwell and he brings in Jim Bob Cooter (love the name).
Anyway, the Cards didn’t walk away completely empty handed. The Bucs swapped their 6th for the Cards’ 7th and Arians’ rights even though the league didn’t require it.
Good hire.
At least he doesn’t have to change the color of his hat.
The guy who wears the funny hats?
Thank god we don’t have to listen to him anymore analysis a game on tv as a color analyst. Maybe he can hire Booger so we don’t have to listen or see him in the Booger mobile anymore.
Loved Arians in Arizona. Very fiery and a little overrated but brings passion. His teams slipped backward on the defensive side when Bowles left. With the group TB has had in there the last 10 years Arians will be a breath of fresh air.
They had a couple major injuries in his last few years. Players want to play for him
so he should be a big help in free agency.
Need OLine help. And a running game…. Defense has a lot of holes outside of McCoy
Do Bucs season ticket holders get a “No Risk It No Bisquit” bumper sticker as they what this team become the new Browns?
Lev Bell now has an obvious landing spot.
Surprised only the Bucs were interested in Arians.
He’ll be gone by mid-season