Tap Brakes On Bowles Chasing Jobs
October 21st, 2020
Bucs DC Todd Bowles.
There is already chatter among national media circles that if Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is not hired as a head coach next season by some team, the hiring process of NFL head coaches is significantly flawed.
A man who knows Bowles quite well and knows Bowles’ boss intimately for decades suggests those people may want to ease up on lining Bowles up with a new team to take over in 2021.
And why is that? Because Bowles isn’t heavy-panting for the season to end so he can break loose from the Bucs.
Jake Arians, the son of Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians (who has been extremely tight with Bowles for decades), appeared on the “Dual Threat” podcast to offer his take on Bowles possibly leaving after the season.
There is no question Bowles’ name will be a hot commodity the way he has turned around one of the worst defenses in the 100-year history of the NFL and made them No. 1 within two seasons. (Heck, Mike Smith was a hot name after his first Bucs season.)
Arians, while being clear he is not speaking for Bowles and only speculating with his knowledge of the situation, thinks Bowles, a former Jets coach, could be sticking around with the Bucs for a couple or more years.
“I think it is funny that people think Todd just wants to go grab whatever head coaching job that is out there,” Jake Arians said. “Right now the ones that are available aren’t very good. And he ain’t going back to New York. He learned his lesson going to a bad franchise without a franchise quarterback. … He’s not one that is chasing the money. He’s not one that is chasing the fame. He knows what he has and how good this defense can be for years, right?
“The way they built this thing, if they can get Lavonte [David] signed to an extension, you are pretty much coaching the same dudes for another three or four years. He’s going to have opportunities to take a head coaching job. He’s already being paid as a top-tier defensive coordinator. They can bump that if they need to. I don’t think ownership is going to have a problem if you are building the No. 1 defense in the league out there giving the guy a raise.
“I think people are jumping to conclusions … assuming that Todd wants to leave a phenomenal situation with a head coach that he loves, that coached him in college, and that he has known for 35 years to go do it again in a situation that is not ideal.
“I think if he gets the opportunity to go somewhere with good leadership, a GM that he knows and is on the same page with — because he never had that in New York — with a franchise quarterback? Then yeah, I think he is going to consider that because now he has a chance to win. I can’t see him wanting to go just chase a head coaching job when he doesn’t think he has a chance to win or [get] support from the GM or ownership like he didn’t have in New York.”
Bowles’ future with the Bucs, of course, hinges on how well the Bucs finish the season, and perhaps how his defense plays in the postseason (if the Bucs make the playoffs).
Joe is purely speculating. No one has told Joe this. Just looking at the landscape:
It would not surprise Joe one bit if one way the Bucs lured Bucco Bruce Arians out of retirement was for Arians to help set up one of his assistants to take over the Bucs if his health issues cropped up again or whenever Arians decided to park his Bucs golf cart for good.
As for what his son said about future employment, Bowles has known Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht since 2013. Would it shock Joe if the Bucs had a deal worked out with Bowles, if the team had success and his defense shined, to make him first in line to replace Arians whenever the 68-year old coach had his fill of coaching?
Nope.
October 21st, 2020 at 4:06 pm
He could very easily stick around here2021 and become the Bucs HC in 2022. I totally agree w @Joe on this… BA coming here was win now , stay a short time and then have a new head coach waiting before he left.
October 21st, 2020 at 4:12 pm
One factor might be- who is the QB that succeeds Brady?
October 21st, 2020 at 4:24 pm
Exactly!! I said it before he ain’t going anywhere!! He’d be stupid to leave this!!
October 21st, 2020 at 4:28 pm
bowles makes smart choices on the free gear they offer the team…
always picks out the good pewter and grey stuff…
coach bowles is one smart football man with an affinity for choice haberdashery
October 21st, 2020 at 4:39 pm
Anthony Becht said the same thing on his recent podcast
October 21st, 2020 at 4:44 pm
so the bucs have 2 coordinators BL&TB that could become HCs with success….
i think BA is right….bowles may very well be fine with coaching a dominate defense…not a HC…and thats where BL comes into play…
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 21st, 2020 at 4:46 pm
Arians ought to pick a franchise quarterback in the 2021 draft Kyle Trask or Trey Lance should be available. Then have at least one or two years under Brady. Then Bowles would have his quarterback.
October 21st, 2020 at 5:10 pm
I’d love for Bowles to takeover after Arians steps aside.
He’s a quality individual and a great DC.
October 21st, 2020 at 5:26 pm
Some people are good coordinators and bad coaches. Dirk comes to mind, he was an awful head coach, but is a good OC. Bowles was a HC and it went poorly. People will say it was because he coached the Jets, but Dungy came to a much worse situation with the Bucs and still won with no offense. Now Dungy is a HOFer, so that’s a high bar, but if you look at the Jets their defenses were not any good – it wasn’t just on the offense. It could be that Bowles is one of those guys that is a good coordinator (think Monte Kiffin) and just isn’t HC material.
That’s what I’d tell everyone to try to keep Bowles.
But if Arians retired, I’m keeping and promoting Bowles and certainly not Leftwich – and I’d hope the first thing Bowles did was fire Leftwich and hire someone who isn’t going to start a game with 3 runs up the middle and a punt. Leftwich is just ultraconservative and seemingly has to have Arians riding him to open up the playbook at all, without Arians over his shoulder, Leftwich is the same OC we saw in Arizona when he worked without Arians, and where he was terrible, and ultra predictable.
October 21st, 2020 at 7:09 pm
Rod … Agree with you on BL; he’s not the future. But Todd Bowles can be, IF the Bucs ownership doesn’t do something stupid. New York Jets HC position was a lose-lose proposition for Bowles, mostly because of management.
That said however, I really don’t like dual-hatting HCs to be DCs or OCs. Hard to serve 2 masters as they say. What I don’t know is who’s waiting in the wings to take the DC spot if Bowles gets the HC job when BA retires.
October 21st, 2020 at 7:20 pm
jake arians seems like the drunk uncle on twitter
October 21st, 2020 at 10:49 pm
@Rod Munch
Tony Dungy would have loved Leftwich as offensive coordinator.
October 21st, 2020 at 10:52 pm
I’d like to see him take over after BA. Plenty of QB options… college, Josh Rosen… there will be opportunities to find or groom a next QB.
October 21st, 2020 at 10:54 pm
Some articles in NY tell that he is not a good head coach that requires a different skill set such as a better clock management, 3 phases of the game.
October 21st, 2020 at 10:56 pm
Allbuccedup Says:
“Arians ought to pick a franchise quarterback in the 2021 draft Kyle Trask or Trey Lance.”
.
.
The word is out on Lance. I’m pretty sure he’s going top 5 or 10. I don’t think we can afford to trade up that far.
October 21st, 2020 at 11:37 pm
Bowles will be here until Arians retires. He will replace Arians.
Byron Leftwich will take a head coaching position and Brady will retire and become the Bucs Offensive coordinator.
Just my prediction but you never know.
October 22nd, 2020 at 8:33 am
I would not be surprised if Brady plays one or two more years after this and Arians retires with Brady and Todd Bowles takes over.
A lot of that will depend on the quarterback they get or draft to take over and how Leftwitch does with him and taking over the offense completely.
This is how I would like to see it play out anyway. I hope Bowles does not jump at an offer and leave
October 22nd, 2020 at 11:17 am
Tampa is a town that truly appreciates great defense. We have a team that set our historic bar very high.
Money will not be an issue…pride will be more important..and the chance to chase true greatness will be a tempting aphrodiasac for Bowles. He can always pick his spot later or simply succeed BA as others are mentioning. He’s not going to be in a rush…I agree with young Arians.
October 22nd, 2020 at 9:19 pm
Florida with no state tax is also often overlooked. The warm weather is hard to beat especially when you get older. There’s a lot to do in the greater Tampa Area. Smart people and businessmen come to the Suncoast and stay. It’s a hard place to leave. Not sure if Gruden kept his house, but if he didn’t, he’ll be back. I like here a lot and can visit any other place whenever I want. Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home. #GunshineState