Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong To Retire
January 31st, 2024
Ex-Bucs special teams chief Keith Armstrong.
Todd Bowles’ busy offseason just got busier.
Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, long-time NFL special teams coach Keith Armstrong is hanging it up.
Armstrong came to the Bucs along with Bucco Bruce Arians in 2019.
Joe will miss Armstrong personally. In training camp, whenever Joe had a question about special teams, Armstrong would kindly give Joe all the time Joe needed in the blazing Florida sun to answer a question or explain a play or strategy. That’s rare.
No, the Bucs’ special teams have not been special for a while. To Armstrong’s credit (?) place kicking has been a strength for most of his time with the Bucs. Last couple of seasons, so too has been punting.
The old Arians’ gang is slowly fading away.
Longtime NFL special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong informed the #Bucs he is retiring, per sources.
Armstrong, 60, has been an NFL assistant since 1994 and helped Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV. Now, another key job for Todd Bowles to fill on staff. pic.twitter.com/iQD6yTujO1
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 31, 2024
January 31st, 2024 at 7:01 pm
Who leaves next Bowles?
January 31st, 2024 at 7:02 pm
Wonderful two days for the Bucs. Got rid of their TRASH run coordinator, their TRASH offensive line coach and now their TRASH AND I MEAN DIRT TRASH ST COORDINATOR is gone.
Happy happy day.
January 31st, 2024 at 7:03 pm
Hallelujah!
January 31st, 2024 at 7:07 pm
Special teams has been a strength.
Todd Bowles staff is deserting him. Come on, Glazers…there has to be a reason!
January 31st, 2024 at 7:08 pm
Happy retirement!!
January 31st, 2024 at 7:08 pm
5 years too late.
January 31st, 2024 at 7:09 pm
I am not sad
January 31st, 2024 at 7:09 pm
I think most Bucs fans will welcome this news. The bars not too high but hopefully the next ST coordinator puts a better product on the field.
January 31st, 2024 at 7:11 pm
Chris Tabor is still available not to bad.
January 31st, 2024 at 7:12 pm
The Tandy man can
January 31st, 2024 at 7:12 pm
Outstanding news. Only better news would have been if it was Bloweszo who decided not to prolong the obvious.
January 31st, 2024 at 7:13 pm
So Bowles already has an excuse for next year.
This is getting downright ugly.
Coaches are even making lateral moves to get out. There must be something behind the scenes going on.
If Bowles is goimg to be fired, why wait? Still need an answer from his replacement? Or he’s coaching in the Superbowl?
These coaches are getting out of dodge for a reason.
January 31st, 2024 at 7:17 pm
What the hell’s going on in Tampa. Is Bowles forcing out all of Arians coaches ? Is this just a coincidence? I hope Bowles know what he’s doing if he’s any part of what’s going on here. I now see why Lewis was one of the last to get interviewed for the OC job.
January 31st, 2024 at 7:26 pm
The ONLY news that would excite nearly ALL of the Tampa Area and fan base would be:
Todd Bowles has decided to retire/resign/quit/leave!
January 31st, 2024 at 7:26 pm
LOL, Bloweszo knows how to do one thing. Lose. He’s prolific at it. Armstrong was horrible but even he can’t stand watching Todd prolonging the obvious.
Those of you mad because the Bucs don’t have a top 5 draft pick — no worries, a year from now it could be top.
January 31st, 2024 at 7:27 pm
Many Buc fans aren’t crying.
January 31st, 2024 at 7:29 pm
Best Bucs news in weeks. That guy was bad at his job.
January 31st, 2024 at 7:31 pm
Well, everyone has been calling for the guy’s head over mediocre coverage on kicks as well as the return game so I guess this is welcome news. Basically the coaches which many have identified as weak links on the Bucs’ staff (with the exception of Bowles) have gone with Canales or retired. My concern is how it seems like the Bucs seem to have to interview or request an interview with a dozen guys for OC some who got hired by other teams or chose to stay in Houston, New Orleans seems to be the only other team that has interviewed 10+ candidates. Perhaps potential coaches are worried that guys like Bowles and Allen could be on the hot seat next year despite having winning records? Last year the Bucs also had difficulty getting an OC but last year this time they had no QB (well they had Trask….), this year it is likely they will have Baker and some talent on offense. So the common denominator has to be Bowles, a conservative, defensive minded coach in a league where ofrfensive innovation is the key to putting up points and winning games……
January 31st, 2024 at 7:34 pm
Was hoping he’d go th Carolina.
January 31st, 2024 at 7:37 pm
Would not be surprised if Coach Bowles hires Coach Tabor for special teams. Not a great year last year but is considered one of the better special team coaches. Coach Bowles and Armstrong are very good friends so this is simple Armstrong wanting to retire. I think there is a good chance the Bucs have a better coaching staff next year. Coach Bowles will win a third consecutive division title next year with a solid draft and a couple free agents. Even better days ahead. Funny how people who buried Armstrong for years now paint this as a negative on Coach Bowles. Crazy.
January 31st, 2024 at 7:39 pm
IMO this is normal attrition within the coaching ranks plain and simple. With Canales getting his new gig of course he is going to take some with him. Canales received an offer he cold not refuse whether he was ready or not. Six years guaranteed. That gives stability to his coaching staff. Armstrong obviously has had his detractors and made a good move to take advantage of his situation. Best wishes to him and his family! The pessimistic naysayers on this site will use it to fit their hinged negative agenda!
January 31st, 2024 at 7:45 pm
“Retire” lol
He got canned just like Clyde Christensen did
January 31st, 2024 at 7:48 pm
Yeah, his special teams only helped us get to the playoffs four years in a row. What is wrong with you people?
January 31st, 2024 at 7:50 pm
@Buccaneer Bonzai
They were not lateral moves, they were at the end of their contracts. That was the only way Canales was able to hire them. Those coaches were originally hired under Arians so their contracts were at the end
January 31st, 2024 at 8:05 pm
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
January 31st, 2024 at 7:13 pm
So Bowles already has an excuse for next year
^^^
Did the excuse for losing Tom Brady, players, and coaches last year stop Todd Bowles from winning our division again and winning more playoff games than we did last year?
January 31st, 2024 at 8:08 pm
All you hypocrites were happy with our new punter and kicker performance this year, yet you’re even more happy that their coach is retiring?
Make that make sense
January 31st, 2024 at 8:34 pm
I don’t mind this move.
But everyone needs to know – when you have a veteran heavy roster your special team units will suffer.
When your roster is full of UDFAs and first and second year players your special teams will improve.
Good luck coach Armstrong.
January 31st, 2024 at 8:35 pm
ST coach does nothing for the punter and kicker. It’s all about the return game and coverage units, both of which have well below average to putrid. Get better.
January 31st, 2024 at 8:44 pm
Proof there is a god
January 31st, 2024 at 8:50 pm
Allbuccedup Says:
January 31st, 2024 at 7:01 pm
Who leaves next Bowles?
BINGO!
January 31st, 2024 at 9:04 pm
Well, it’s not like the special teams play has been above average for the past decade. The problem is there are a lot of coaches leaving. A lot going to competitors in the division and with an OC that was here for one year. This really seems like an indictment on Todd Bowles.
That is a major problem in the hiring process for new coaches
January 31st, 2024 at 9:05 pm
Either Bowles is clearing out the Arians people OR the coaches know that next year they are all done.
No faith in Bowles or the “continuity” the front office seems to value isn’t that important.
Can’t find a decent OC, coaches are leaving .. there’s obviously an issue.
January 31st, 2024 at 9:11 pm
So when does Arians officially retire?
January 31st, 2024 at 9:12 pm
It’s a slow motion tear down..
Next season ought a be a doozy.
January 31st, 2024 at 9:14 pm
:golf clap:
January 31st, 2024 at 9:19 pm
Davenport
The GM is the problem.
Look at the kinda place he’s runnin’ here.
January 31st, 2024 at 9:26 pm
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
January 31st, 2024 at 7:13 pm
There’s a possibility that our two OL coaches were not offered new contracts. That could be the reason… but do continue with assuming the worst about Bowles without evidence.
January 31st, 2024 at 9:29 pm
Davenport Says:
January 31st, 2024 at 9:05 pm
What the hell are you talking about? They’ve only been interviewing people for a few days. Idiots said the same thing last year… And Canales turned out to be pretty good despite some ugly showings. People always jumping to the most negative conclusions without sufficient evidence. It’s crazy.
January 31st, 2024 at 9:39 pm
OH NO!!! Not the Special Teams coach…… LOL
Truly a case of addition by subtraction
January 31st, 2024 at 9:42 pm
Evidence really starting to build up steam that Coaches don’t want to work for Bowles and even some of the ones who have would rather retire or work for the leagues worst team…
Indictment indeed!
January 31st, 2024 at 9:43 pm
One word, yeahhh!
January 31st, 2024 at 10:07 pm
Tye Says:
January 31st, 2024 at 9:42 pm
Think you may need to reconsider the meaning of the word evidence.
One guy retired.
Two OL coaches may not have been offered new contracts.
The OC left for a bog promotion.
The WR coach leaves to join his friend and get a big promotion.
Sounds more like a series of unrelated circumstances that have nothing to do with Bowles.
January 31st, 2024 at 11:23 pm
Hooray!
January 31st, 2024 at 11:44 pm
sasquatch Says
“One guy retired.
Two OL coaches may not have been offered new contracts.”
You are making assumptions there too. You don’t know why one retired, and you don’t know if the others were offered contracts or not.
2-3 coaches leave, it’s coincidence. 5 Leave, it’s a pattern. You can choose to live in the dark if you like.
January 31st, 2024 at 11:47 pm
While they are farting around spending their sweet time finding an OC the rest of the staff are bailing out. Cmon pick somebody and quit screwing around.
January 31st, 2024 at 11:49 pm
You do the math: Their contracts were up. Canales just signed a six-year contract. Who knows how long Todd Bowles lasts? Harold Goodwin’s home is in Carolina, has a house there.
January 31st, 2024 at 11:53 pm
Bonzai … ‘This is getting downright ugly. Coaches are even making lateral moves to get out. There MUST BE something behind the scenes going on.’
Congrats Bonzai. You’ve now become the leader of the ‘JBF Conspirators Gang’. Whatever happened to EVIDENCE and PROOF? Since when did ‘MUST BE something going on behind the scenes’ quality as either?
And when did OBJECTIVITY and SOLID ANALYSIS take a vacation in the sports world?
January 31st, 2024 at 11:57 pm
Joe … ‘You do the math: Their contracts were up. Canales just signed a six-year contract. Who knows how long Todd Bowles lasts? Harold Goodwin’s home is in Carolina, has a house there.’
Thank you Joe.
February 1st, 2024 at 12:27 am
I did the math. We have 5 fewer staff members than a week or so ago.
“Who knows how long Todd Bowles lasts?” – Joe
Exactly my point. Who knows? People are bailing because they don’t believe he can last.
DR says conspiracy? I say common sense. I highly doubt the Buccaneers want to do a key staff rebuild.
If the guys who left because their contracts were up, assuming they were not offered additional years makes no sense.
People above say no loss on Special Teams…but our Special Teams unit was very good this year.
And next up are free agents choosing not to re-sign? Will it be conspiracy when our best players turn down offers to stay?
Come on. You can’t all be blind.
February 1st, 2024 at 12:41 am
Bonzai going all chicken little….
February 1st, 2024 at 12:44 am
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
January 31st, 2024 at 11:44 pm
Nope. The only assumption I’m making is that we don’t really know, and I see a lot of people drawing conclusions without any backstory.
Let’s take Canales and Idzik out of the equation. Those were promotions and it had nothing to do with Bowles.
Then let’s take away Armstrong. You really think he left because of Bowles? They go back decades. Seems most likely he just was ready to retire after a long career… Or maybe Bowles was ready to move on from him and let him call it a retirement to save face. Maybe. In any case, it’s highly likely it had nothing to do with not wanting to work with Bowles.
So now, we’re down to the 2 OL coaches. We don’t know whether they were offered contracts to stay. There’s a good chance they were also allowed to leave given the underperforming run game over several years. And there’s also the very real consideration of Canales having a 6 year contract. It’s reasonable to pick CAR for stability. These guys live in the real world and want security. It doesn’t mean they don’t want to work with Bowles, but recognizing that because of the ownership and fan impatience, he is probably on a much shorter leash.
I see no reason to consider any of this an exodus to avoid Bowles. That’s just a convenient narrative for lazy minds.
February 1st, 2024 at 12:50 am
Some of these Buc fans must be scabs
February 1st, 2024 at 1:12 am
Lmao at people fretting over this.
Armstrong was lucky to even still be employed. Special teams have been anything but special. Our kickers have been good. That’s it.
February 1st, 2024 at 2:38 am
something def seems up…
it’s like a bail out at one buc…
i guess we’ve just gotta stay tuned…
a boatload of smaller moves generally gives way to a bigger move…
or maybe the staff clearly knows baker and mike are bailing on the bucs too
February 1st, 2024 at 2:42 am
Listen nobody is fretting over Armstrong retiring.
Most agree we have had a horrible special teams for years. Maybe decades.
But the Bonzai conspiracy theories are ridiculous.
When contracts are up, they are up. That IS proof.
Saying there is a pattern is ridiculous too.
Dang you probably wake up and say,”Who the hell pissed my pants”.
February 1st, 2024 at 6:26 am
Yea. Our special teams were not under Armstrong. Had some good individual performances but teams were not that good.
February 1st, 2024 at 6:54 am
Bonzai’s thoughts are not ridiculous. Sometimes “facts” and “numbers” and “objectivity” don’t take into account human nature. Kind of like how analytics can’t account for momentum during a game. Nobody (including the Joes) has, or is claiming to have, “proof” of these things. There will never be “proof” of these things. What organization discusses why hiring/ firing decisions like this were made in a public forum? We still don’t even know the whole story about the Arians stepping down, was Brady involved, bowles getting promoted fiasco. These guys aren’t gonna come out and publicly bad mouth each other.
Point is none of these coaches wanted to work with/for bowles. I don’t have the “data” and they didn’t hold a press conference to say it, but look at their actions with a skeptical eye. He didn’t get along with Byron. Canales (while I understand the move in a vacuum, re: promotion & raise), decided to take a job with the worst team (record) in the league for the most trigger happy owner in the league where he’s tied to a bust looking 2nd year QB he didn’t pick and has missing draft picks because of him. He decided to take on ALL that baggage rather than run it back with a 3peat division winner that gave him his first shot where he could continue to develop and maybe had a chance to be HC in 2-3 years. And don’t give me the “there’s only 32 HC jobs, can’t pass that up!” BS. Coordinators pass up potential HC jobs fairly regularly, including ones with MUCH more experience than Canales. McDaniels turned down the Colts at the last minute AFTER already accepting the job, Dan Quinn has turned down opportunities for multiple years, Ben Johnson (one of the biggest names this cycle) said he’s staying put with 2 HC jobs still open (and I don’t think Campbell is going anywhere anytime soon). Idzick, well he’s an OC now… did he not think maybe he could make it easy for bowles to keep running Canales’ system by sliding into OC for the Bucs? Apparently not. The two line coaches are the most dicey in terms of reasoning. I get that the contracts ran out. Newsflash, you can always sign new contracts. Granted they weren’t great, but bowles supposed reasoning for keeping them last year was he didn’t have better options. He all the sudden has better options now? I haven’t heard of any. If he’s counting on the new OC to bring some along, he better trap a new OC soon. And now to bad ol Keith. I’d LOVE to believe that bowles finally pulled his card for turning special teams from gold star type special to short bus type special, but I’m not sure that I can. Just from what we see with player personnel and how loyal/ stubborn bowles is, I don’t see him making that call. So we know the first 2 chose to leave, and I sure can’t feel confident the last 3 didn’t as well. So potentially 5 coaches abandoned bowles. Yes I’m sure they all had their own individual reasons, but it doesn’t look good on bowles any way you slice it.
February 1st, 2024 at 7:33 am
Wonder if Armstrong got the word that he was going to be replaced.
February 1st, 2024 at 7:35 am
Hallelujah!
February 1st, 2024 at 8:33 am
He was a terrible. Good-bye.
February 1st, 2024 at 9:51 am
Addition by subtraction
February 1st, 2024 at 10:52 am
Our coverage and return teams were very average. I was sick of all the fair catches that I think were Armstrong’s instructions. My theory is that the Bucs weren’t going to renew his contract and Armstrong retired.
I have been critical of our assistant coaches all year so I’m not disappointed to have these guys leave. I only wish our DL and OLB coaches were let go.
February 1st, 2024 at 11:04 am
Lol!! Come on Joe, you are being really nice in this post of yours. How many times over the years have we read you blasting this guy over the years. Well Keith thank you for your service. And wish you all the best in retirement.
February 2nd, 2024 at 12:20 pm
How long is it honna take for this rag to do a write up on Baker winning the passing competition? Or are they still firmly on the naysayer side of things?