One of the biggest storylines of this offseason’s coaching cycle wasn’t one of the many outside hires made around the league, but the internal succession plan enacted in Tampa Bay. Bruce Arians recently shed more light on the thought process that went in to his retirement decision. 
“It was 90 percent that [this] year would be my last, anyway” he said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Arians will turn 70 midway through the 2022 campaign, meaning that his coaching career was likely nearing an end in the very near future. However, he publicly stated that he wouldn’t retire this offseason in the aftermath of the Bucs’ playoff loss to the Rams.
Arians’ tenure in Tampa Bay spanned three years. It included a 31-18 record, and the franchise’s second Super Bowl title. His remarks pointed to a fourth campaign at the helm, but things began to change as early as March, Stroud notes. Working under the impression that Tom Brady had retired, Arians weighed the possibility of an unproven QB room against his desire to see defensive coordinator Todd Bowles succeed him.
“I was going the other way. I was thinking [Brady] wasn’t going to play,” he said. “Had Tom not come back, I probably would still be coaching. I couldn’t give Todd that situation.”
Instead, Brady un-retired, leaving Arians free to step aside as HC. Doing so allowed him to keep both Bowles and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich – whom Stroud reports Arians “expected ” to each receive outside head coaching jobs – in Tampa Bay, along with Brady. Arians said that the continued presence of that triumvirate made it “the perfect time” for him to retire.
Now, the two-time Coach of the Year is set to work in Tampa Bay under the title of senior advisor to the general manager, which should grant him a similar role to the one he desired, but was denied, in Arizona in 2018. “I’ll be here every day once the season starts,” he said. “But I won’t have to be here every night.”
It remains to be seen what Arians plans to do after the 2022 season, but for at least the immediate future, the transition plan he envisioned is in place.
Uh huh
Bruce has put enough spin on his departure narrative to impress the Rays pitching staff.
Bruce is all about Bruce. Most over-rated NFL head coach this side of Mike Martz.
so it was because of Brady
“I was going the other way. I was thinking [Brady] wasn’t going to play,” he said. “Had Tom not come back, I probably would still be coaching. I couldn’t give Todd that situation.”
I think that’s such an awful comment to Todd. Really, you pressed him for many HC jobs, but just couldn’t let him go w/o Tom?
Not so much without Brady as much as it was with the rest of the QB’s that Todd would’ve been stuck with
They had plenty of quarterbacks they could have acquired. It’s not like Todd would have been stuck with only what was on the roster. We all know this was on Brady. Stop pretending
Plenty of quarterbacks? Only one Brady.
Did Belinchek quit? Brady is the best ever but that’s not what I was responding to. Tampa didn’t have to leave Bowles with Gabbert. There’s plenty of better quarterbacks that were available at the time Brady fake retired
Was Bruce concerned with what the next coach would inherit when he bailed on the Cardinals?
He’s trying to spin this as this was his idea when in fact he had NO choice… He may have won a SB but that doesn’t make him less of an a hole.
Nice try to save face when manchild Lurch went in and said he’d come back but it was either him or Arians and goodbye, Bruce.
Arians got pushed out by the owner – on Brady’s orders.
Still more dignified of a “retirement” than his first one with the Steelers as the OC when every dimwit yinzer would call The Fan and blame every single thing on him and cheered him being shown the door.
Only to watch him become the head coach of 3 different teams, win 2 coach of the year awards and 1 Super Bowl.
Good job, John from Robinson.
Pittsburgh did win a Super Bowl after he left.
He left in 2011, last SB win was 2009.
Was he OC when they won? He was better than Haley. Haley ran himself out of the NFL. He’s coaching a one of these summer teams
Yes he was OC.
I wasn’t sure if it was Mullarkey
So funny how he just keeps trying to sell it as his own idea when in fact EVERYONE knows it was Tom Brady that got to decide it was time for him to go….
As if TB could not handle a “non-Brady Bucs” team; Ariens wasn’t that good! Arrogant over-eater.
Thank God he’s gone!! One of the worse head coaches I’ve ever seen. Been pushing for him to be gone for a long time but after his temper tantrum duel with Brown I was ready to kick him to the curb myself