Bruce Arians Releases Statement After Retiring: ‘I Know This Is the Right Time’

The former Buccaneers head coach wanted to walk away while the team was still at a high.

Bruce Arians is stepping down as Buccaneers head coach, allowing defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to take over full time. Arians will move to a front office role as a Senior Football Consultant

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In a statement, Arians explained he has nothing else to prove as a coach in the league.

“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,” Arians said. “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.”

Arians also said he wanted to give Bowles a chance to coach a talented team, namely one with future Hall of Famer Tom Brady, and this was a way to make sure that came to fruition.

“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.”

Bowles was a head coach once before, with the Jets from 2015 to ’18, and went 24–40 in that span. New York was in poor shape when Bowles arrived, and Bowles couldn’t get them out of that hole.

Of course, Bowles didn’t have great offensive pieces to work with while with the Jets, with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh McCown and Sam Darnold leading the list of names at quarterback. Now, Bowles has Brady, and Arians hands over the reigns with the team still in tact.

Arians’s full statement included appreciation to the Glazers and the Bidwells for giving him a chance to coach the Buccaneers and Cardinals, respectively. He also thanked Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht and Tampa Bay fans, among others. 

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