Full Transcript for Bruce Arians Wants Back With the Buccaneers? Todd Bowles' Future Gets More Interesting | Bucs News

He's never really had 34 00:02:36.610 --> 00:02:39.849 the desire to return to coaching until this year. The 35 00:02:40.750 --> 00:02:43.860 spark reportedly came in September while visiting a high school 36 00:02:43.900 --> 00:02:47.080 team in Arizona coached by his son, Jake. He talked 37 00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:50.759 about football, interacted with the coaches and players, and suddenly 38 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:54.590 that competition, well, that fire came back. Arian said, quote, 39 00:02:55.030 --> 00:02:59.509 Now that I'm all healthy again, I've got the itch again. Unquote. 40 00:03:00.129 --> 00:03:02.409 And while the health is a major part of the story, 41 00:03:02.449 --> 00:03:06.650 he previously dealt with an Achilles injury, back problems, an 42 00:03:07.030 --> 00:03:11.629 aortic aneurysm. He's also a three-time cancer survivor. In February, 43 00:03:11.669 --> 00:03:15.650 he underwent surgery to repair the aneurysm. So, you know, 44 00:03:15.669 --> 00:03:19.289 this simply isn't a case of somebody getting bored in retirement. 45 00:03:19.409 --> 00:03:23.860 Arian says he's feeling better and has more energy following surgery. 46 00:03:24.710 --> 00:03:27.419 And I think that's important context before anybody starts to 47 00:03:27.460 --> 00:03:32.219 missing this as a publicity stunt. But here's my question. 48 00:03:32.340 --> 00:03:34.960 Does wanting to coach again mean he's ready to take 49 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:40.530 on the responsibilities of running an NFL franchise? Two very 50 00:03:40.569 --> 00:03:44.050 different things. That he has not coached since 2021 and 51 00:03:44.229 --> 00:03:49.009 the NFL has continued evolving. The game, the coaching landscape changed. 52 00:03:49.620 --> 00:03:53.580 and the expectations are constantly changing. Still, I would say 53 00:03:53.620 --> 00:03:55.879 if you're a Bucs fan, you can help but at 54 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:59.969 least entertain the possibility. So to wrap up segment one, 55 00:04:00.069 --> 00:04:03.729 Arians is interested, he's feeling healthier, and he's specifically left 56 00:04:03.770 --> 00:04:06.810 the door open to Tampa Bay. It's a legit story, 57 00:04:06.870 --> 00:04:09.930 but interest and an actual job opportunity are two very 58 00:04:09.969 --> 00:04:12.580 different things. And that brings us to the man currently 59 00:04:12.620 --> 00:04:17.310 holding the job. That's where I'm headed next. 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All of 70 00:04:53.310 --> 00:04:56.699 your Bucs news in 15 minutes or less. Buccaneers football 71 00:04:56.720 --> 00:04:58.879 lives here. So what does this mean for the current coach, 72 00:04:59.560 --> 00:05:02.100 Todd Bowles? The biggest takeaway here is that Bruce Arians' 73 00:05:02.139 --> 00:05:06.879 comments are going to intensify the conversation surrounding Todd Bowles, 74 00:05:06.939 --> 00:05:09.970 whether Arians intended that or not. Because you look at 75 00:05:09.990 --> 00:05:14.620 the situation here. The Bucs are 3-6. And, you know, 76 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:17.850 they're still technically in the NFC South race, but this 77 00:05:17.930 --> 00:05:22.720 team hasn't played consistent football. And the questions... surrounding the 78 00:05:22.759 --> 00:05:26.300 coaching staff are not going away. And well, now we 79 00:05:26.339 --> 00:05:29.300 have the former head coach publicly saying he'd consider returning 80 00:05:29.420 --> 00:05:33.860 if the job became available. It's an important and interesting development. 81 00:05:33.899 --> 00:05:37.360 Bowles and Arians have a history together. They've worked alongside 82 00:05:37.399 --> 00:05:40.019 each other in Arizona and Tampa Bay. In fact, Bowles 83 00:05:40.060 --> 00:05:43.370 and Arians defensive coordinator before taking over as head coach 84 00:05:44.189 --> 00:05:48.850 in March of 2022. Arians had previously spoke about wanting 85 00:05:48.870 --> 00:05:51.329 to hand the team over to Bowles after the championship 86 00:05:51.430 --> 00:05:53.240 run and It matters at the end of the day 87 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:56.759 that this isn't some outside candidate taking shots at the organization. 88 00:05:57.259 --> 00:05:59.839 This is a guy who helped build the championship team, 89 00:06:00.220 --> 00:06:03.699 who knows the personnel, understands the culture, and has a 90 00:06:03.899 --> 00:06:07.250 relationship with the people inside the building. So let's be 91 00:06:07.310 --> 00:06:11.490 careful here that Arians didn't criticize Bowles. He didn't say 92 00:06:11.550 --> 00:06:15.990 he wanted Bowles' job. He simply said he'd consider returning 93 00:06:16.209 --> 00:06:22.550 if the opportunity were available. Pressure, no pressure, right? Those 94 00:06:22.589 --> 00:06:24.610 are two completely different things. And, you know, I don't 95 00:06:24.629 --> 00:06:28.819 think the Buccaneers should make a coaching decision based on nostalgia. 96 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:31.779 You know that, yes, Arians won a Super Bowl here. Yes, 97 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:34.379 he knows Tampa Bay. You

know, but the question about 98 00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:36.860 Jason Light and ownership have to answer is whether the 99 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:40.279 current coaching structure is giving the roster the best chance 100 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:44.339 to compete. And, you know, Bulls deserves to be evaluated 101 00:06:44.420 --> 00:06:46.850 on what happens with the team, not on whether a 102 00:06:46.910 --> 00:06:51.050 former coach is suddenly interested in returning. At the same time, though, 103 00:06:51.069 --> 00:06:53.889 three and six is not where the Bucs want to be. 104 00:06:54.189 --> 00:06:57.040 The Bucs have invested heavily in this roster, and the 105 00:06:57.129 --> 00:07:01.180 expectations are to compete for a division and make the playoffs. 106 00:07:01.579 --> 00:07:05.379 You cannot ignore that. And here's the other consideration. Arians 107 00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:07.920 has spent the last several years as a consultant with 108 00:07:07.980 --> 00:07:12.810 Tampa Bay. He remained connected to the organization from 2022 109 00:07:12.810 --> 00:07:16.480 through 2025. So, you know, the relationship is still there. 110 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:20.579 If Tampa eventually decided to make a coaching change, Arians... 111 00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:23.220 I would say would at least be a familiar name 112 00:07:23.579 --> 00:07:28.180 worth discussing. But would he even want that entire responsibility 113 00:07:28.220 --> 00:07:32.399 of being head coach again? Would he prefer an advisory position? 114 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:36.670 And would the organization even want to revisit that arrangement? 115 00:07:37.129 --> 00:07:39.870 We don't have the answers. My opinion, the Bucs need 116 00:07:39.889 --> 00:07:42.370 to focus on fixing the football they're playing right now. 117 00:07:42.870 --> 00:07:46.310 Don't let the excitement surrounding a possible Arians reunion distract 118 00:07:46.329 --> 00:07:49.350 from the problems ahead. on the field. So to wrap 119 00:07:49.389 --> 00:07:51.600 up segment two, Bulls' future should be determined by the 120 00:07:51.629 --> 00:07:55.339 team's performance, not by Arians' availability. But when a former 121 00:07:55.379 --> 00:07:58.920 championship coach tells he's interested in returning, you better believe 122 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:02.720 people inside and outside the organization are going to take notice. 123 00:08:03.319 --> 00:08:05.720 And speaking of the championship coach, let's talk about what 124 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:08.660 Arians actually brought to Tampa Bay and whether a reunion 125 00:08:08.680 --> 00:08:14.160 would even make sense. That's where I'm headed next. Hey, 126 00:08:14.180 --> 00:08:16.319 podcast fans, if you're on the hunt for a delicious 127 00:08:16.339 --> 00:08:20.740 high-protein snack, look no further than Righteous Felon. This family-owned 128 00:08:20.779 --> 00:08:24.089 brand is all about premium pasture-raised black Angus beef, hormone 129 00:08:24.110

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Go to RighteousFelon.com or follow the link 136 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:56.720 in the show notes and grab your new favorite snack today. 137 00:08:59.820 --> 00:09:02.000 All right, welcome back into this edition of the Bucs Minicast. 138 00:09:02.059 --> 00:09:04.019 All of your Bucs news in 15 minutes or less. 139 00:09:04.519 --> 00:09:07.340 Buccaneers football lives here. So diving into the final segment 140 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:10.370 of today's show, why Arians still matters to the Bucs? 141 00:09:10.539 --> 00:09:12.889 Because the big takeaway here out of the final segment 142 00:09:12.950 --> 00:09:17.129 is that Bruce Arians represents something the Buccaneers desperately need 143 00:09:17.149 --> 00:09:21.649 to discover. The identity and confidence that made this organization 144 00:09:22.129 --> 00:09:25.049 a championship contender. And, you know, that's why these comments 145 00:09:25.100 --> 00:09:28.519 are interesting. Because you think about Tampa Bay. And what 146 00:09:28.539 --> 00:09:31.519 they look like during the Arians era. He arrived in 147 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:36.100 19 and immediately brought a big mentality to the organization. 148 00:09:36.139 --> 00:09:39.980 The offense was aggressive. The team wasn't afraid to take chances. 149 00:09:40.019 --> 00:09:43.759 And when Tom Brady arrived in 2020, man, Tampa Bay 150 00:09:43.799 --> 00:09:47.799 had the coaching infrastructure and veteran leadership to make a 151 00:09:47.860 --> 00:09:50.980 championship run. That they didn't just make the playoffs. They 152 00:09:51.019 --> 00:09:55.720 won the Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. And that's 153 00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:58.129 something you can't take away from Arians, but there's another 154 00:09:58.169 --> 00:10:00.600 side of this as well. Arians himself acknowledged that there 155 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:04.019 were things he missed about coaching and things he absolutely 156 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:06.559 did not miss. He said, quote, I miss the players. 157 00:10:07.019 --> 00:10:10.409 You always miss the players in the locker room, unquote. And, well, 158 00:10:10.450 --> 00:10:13.529 he joked about the officials. saying he certainly didn't miss 159 00:10:13.570 --> 00:10:17.889 the referees because they didn't miss him. That is classic 160 00:10:17.950 --> 00:10:20.809 Bruce Arians, right? But it also tells you something about 161 00:10:20.870 --> 00:10:24.919 what he misses. It's the relationships, the locker room, and 162 00:10:24.960 --> 00:10:27.480 being around the team, that the question isn't whether that 163 00:10:27.539 --> 00:10:32.580 translates into wanting to manage an entire NFL team again. Remember, 164 00:10:32.659 --> 00:10:37.679 Arians originally stepped away from coaching because of serious health concerns. 165 00:10:38.450 --> 00:10:41.549 He dealt with multiple forms of cancer and Achilles injury, 166 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:46.019 back problems and aortic aneurysm. Um, he says he's feeling 167 00:10:46.059 --> 00:10:48.559 better now, but, um, you know, taking the demands of 168 00:10:48.580 --> 00:10:52.340 an NFL head coaching job at 74, man, that is 169 00:10:52.500 --> 00:10:55.299 a huge commitment. So, you know, I'm not convinced that 170 00:10:55.830 --> 00:10:58.269 it's necessarily the best move for either side. You know, 171 00:10:58.289 --> 00:11:01.629 could Arians help the Buccaneers in some capacity? I mean, 172 00:11:01.669 --> 00:11:05.330 for sure that experience leadership and knowledge of what makes, 173 00:11:05.389 --> 00:11:08.289 what it takes to build a winning football culture are 174 00:11:08.409 --> 00:11:11.590 so valuable. Um, But if Tampa is considering a change, 175 00:11:11.669 --> 00:11:14.139 it needs to be about the future, not simply trying 176 00:11:14.179 --> 00:11:17.879 to recreate 2020. And you know, that's where I think 177 00:11:17.899 --> 00:11:20.059 the Bucs fans need to be realistic. You can't bring 178 00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:23.899 back the past and automatically expect the same results. Tom 179 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:26.409 Brady isn't here anymore. He's not even playing pro ball. 180 00:11:26.750 --> 00:11:30.090 The roster has changed. The coaching staff has changed and 181 00:11:30.110 --> 00:11:34.210 the NFC South is a different landscape. Arians deserves a 182 00:11:34.269 --> 00:11:37.120 huge amount of credit for what he accomplished here, but 183 00:11:37.960 --> 00:11:41.039 The next decision this organization needs is to be about 184 00:11:41.059 --> 00:11:44.299 getting the current team back on track. And here's what 185 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:48.179 I'm watching. Does Arians continue talking publicly about returning to coaching? 186 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:52.090 Does he clarify whether he'd want a head coaching job 187 00:11:52.259 --> 00:11:54.669 or another role? And I would say even more importantly, 188 00:11:55.049 --> 00:11:57.990 what happens with Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers over the 189 00:11:58.029 --> 00:12:02.080 remainder of this season? Because those developments could make this 190 00:12:02.139 --> 00:12:05.490 whole story a whole lot more interesting. So to wrap 191 00:12:05.549 --> 00:12:07.490 up today's show, Bruce Arians has earned the right to 192 00:12:07.509 --> 00:12:09.409 be a part of the conversation because of what he 193 00:12:09.450 --> 00:12:12.889 accomplished in Tampa. However, the Buccaneers shouldn't make a coaching 194 00:12:12.929 --> 00:12:16.210 decision based on a championship memory. They need to make 195 00:12:16.269 --> 00:12:19.940 the right decision for the next chapter of this franchise. 196 00:12:20.500 --> 00:12:21.659 All right, once again, I want to thank you for 197 00:12:21.700 --> 00:12:24.330 joining me on this edition of the Bucs Minicast. All 198 00:12:24.350 --> 00:12:26.500 of your Bucs news in 15 minutes or less. Bucs 199 00:12:26.559 --> 00:12:29.580 football lives right here. My name is Dan Holme, and 200 00:12:29.620 --> 00:12:30.679 I'll talk to you again next time.