Bruce Arians came out of retirement to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prior to the 2019 season. He spent his first season trying to build a culture that would reflect winning, but it wasn't until his second season as head coach - when the Bucs were able to lure Tom Brady to Tampa Bay - that he was fully able to establish the culture and winning that he wanted.
Arians spent just three seasons as the Buccaneers' head coach, winning a Super Bowl in 2020 before moving onto retirement and in the process naming former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles as his successor.
The Bucs' head coaching gig became Bowles' second shot at being an NFL HC after a less-than-stellar stint as the head guy in New York with the Jets. Bowles was handed over a stacked roster and couldn't have been placed in a much better scenario.
Things haven't been all sunshine and rainbows since Bowles took over for Arians, but he has led the Bucs to two consecutive NFC South crowns - taking the team to the playoffs and even winning a playoff game this past season. When speaking with Pewter Report's Scott Reynolds, Bowles' mentor and former head coach Arians spoke on the job that Bowles had done this far into his Buccaneers' stint.
“I think fantastic, the way he weathered through the storms this year and kept that team together,” Arians said of the job Bowles has done. "New quarterback, new system, new play-callers, it takes time. He kept it going. Winning the division, being the only NFC team that’s been in the playoffs for four straight years, that’s pretty strong.”
Bowles has had to face a fair amount of adversity. Dealing with a less-than-ideal salary cap situation from the Tom Brady era, hiring new coordinators, and replacing the best quarterback to ever play the game have all had an impact on his Buccaneers' squad, but he has overcome those obstacles. He currently has a 17-17 regular season record over the course of his two seasons in Tampa Bay with a 1-2 record in the playoffs.
Things aren't going to get easier for Bowles in Tampa Bay as they will once again be bringing in a new offensive coordinator and own one of the tougher schedules entering 2024. If all goes according to plan, Bowles will roster one of the top rosters in the league once again and look to build on the foundation that he has set.
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