The Bucs continue to be on the forefront of trying to increase accessibility to the NFL. This is especially true in terms of how the team, and specifically the Glazers ownership group has always pressed the envelope with their coaching hires. It began in 1996 when the Bucs hired Tony Dungy to be their head coach. Dungy was just the fourth black head coach in the modern history of the NFL.
It continued with subsequent hires of Raheem Morris, Lovie Smith and Todd Bowles. Under former head coach Bruce Arians, the team was the first to have all coordinator positions filled with black coaches. Arians was also proactive in employing women as a part of their coaching staffs, with former assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust and current director of rehab and performance Maral Javadifar both serving under his leadership.
That has continued with current head coach Todd Bowles as he has retained Javadifar and added Sarah Evans as senior manager of coaching operations.
The team has decided to continue that tradition by starting their own coaching academy to improve access for those seeking a path towards coaching in the NFL.
In a video released by the Bucs communications department on the social media site “X” (formerly known as Twitter) the Bucs tap Dungy, Arians and Bowles to discuss the need for additional entry points to allow more talented people to have a path to coaching in the NFL. Arians specifically has a line in the video “It’s not about who you know, or where you are from” which is a nod to the change needed from the longstanding tradition of the NFL being a system that lends itself to nepotism.
Countless coaches throughout the NFL, past and present, were afforded the opportunity to get into the ranks due to their family connections. Arians has previously been very vocal about the errors in the current ways teams develop and find head coaches, citing his own journey to a head coaching position.
“I was the winning offensive coordinator in the Super Bowl [in 2008] and didn’t even get a phone call” to interview for a head coaching job. “So, my own lack of opportunities has made me want to give more opportunities to more people.
“The minorities on my staff are all great, great coaches. The women, that was a door that needed to be knocked down. Lori and Maral are great teachers. They worked their tails off and they’re more than qualified. ”
“Inclusivity and diversity are great ways to teach. The more input you have from different types of voices, the better output you get.”
Bucs Are Accepting Minority Coaching Candidates Applications
The Bucs are showing that as an organization they are committed to improving this process and opening their doors to candidates who may have otherwise missed out on opportunities to join the NFL ranks. The team will invite 25 candidates for a week with the team’s coaches for a week during rookie mini-camp. Of those 25, five will be chosen for a fellowship that will allow them to continue to be a part of the team for training camp and preseason.
This comes as the NFL as a whole has been trying to improve their process of diversifying the coaching trees within the league. The Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship has been around for years, but more recently the league has also introduced other measures to improve access to those who have traditionally had trouble moving into or up within the league.
In 2022 the league introduced the “Coach Accelerator” to increase networking opportunities for up-and-coming coaches and front office personnel. In addition, the league amended its compensatory pick formula for draft picks to include compensation when a team has a minority coach or front office executive hired into another organization as a head coach or general manager.
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