Amazed From Afar
June 9th, 2024
BY IRA KAUFMAN
Say hello to a man of leisure.
Bruce Arians returned to town this week for his induction into the Tampa Bay Sports Club Hall of Fame. Accompanied by his wife, Christine, the coach who guided the 2020 Bucs to a Super Bowl victory looked healthy, relaxed and quite bullish about Tampa Bay’s fortunes this fall.
“If they stay healthy, this is going to be a really good football team,” Arians said. “Jason (Licht) and the guys did a great job adding the right pieces, putting more and more quality out there. I’m really excited. I stay away on purpose because the year I didn’t, I was around too damn much.”
Bucco Bruce Arians talked to Ira last week.
Arians won’t make that same mistake. He spends most of his time at his lake house in Georgia, where he can be found on the golf course four times per week — five if his tender back holds up.
Arians, who turns 72 in October, has no regrets about stepping down as head coach after the 2021 season ended with that bitter playoff loss to the Rams. The Glazers allowed him to handpick his successor and Arians is proud of the work Todd Bowles has forged in extending Tampa Bay’s postseason run to four consecutive years.
The Bucs faced a 4-7 crossroads last season before winning five of their final six games.
“The way Todd pulled that team back together last year was just amazing,” said Arians. “He’s always had it. I think the future’s so bright with the young stars we have now. Just the quality of the people that are in that locker room.”
Arians was asked how close the 2023 Buc season came to unraveling.
“In a heartbeat,” he said.
“Amazing” job by Todd Bowles, says Arians.
“I’ve had it happen to me, too. Injuries or something in the locker room that just starts dividing rather than pulling together. I’ve been a part of those teams, too.”
The Arians family still has a place in south Tampa, but Georgia is considered the home base. When he returns to the Bay area, Arians is reminded of that raucous Super Bowl celebration on the Hillsborough River.
“That boat parade is right up there, next to the Gatorade bath,” Arians said. “As a coach, you dream about that Gatorade bath your whole life. I’ve had a couple but none like that. They’re neck and neck.”
When Arians served as a CBS analyst in 2018, he had an opportunity to work some Cleveland games amid Baker Mayfield’s rookie season. He came away impressed and when the Bucs were looking for a veteran quarterback to replace Tom Brady, Arians pitched Mayfield to Jason Licht and Bowles.
Mayfield didn’t miss a start last fall as the Bucs fell one win short of reaching the NFC title game.
“It was his first year in a new offense,” Arians said. “You always knew his leadership. I knew guys would embrace him right away. To get a quarterback of that quality at that age …. He had a couple of scars, but that’s one tough dude. He’s just going to get better and better.”
The 14th member of the Buc Ring of Honor didn’t hesitate when asked what he misses the most in retirement.
“I miss the guys,” he said.
That’s classic Arians. Even so, he makes it a point to keep his distance from Bowles and the organization he represented so well for three seasons. If Bowles calls, he’ll answer, but Arians is adamant about giving Bowles his space.
“Even when I was here, I stayed out of his office,” said Arians, who was asked his favorite part of being retired. “I’ll never lose another game,” he answered with a grin.
He didn’t lose many.
June 9th, 2024 at 11:00 am
BA is a loyal dude. His successor is 18-19 with the Bucs after a losing record with the Jets. He needs at least 10-8 to keep his job, IMO. He has the roster to win at least 12. Let’s see if he still embraces the slow starts, soft zones and “keep it close” philosophy. Maybe he’ll decide scoring points is a good idea.
June 9th, 2024 at 11:19 am
It’s great to hear from him. Thanks, Ira.
June 9th, 2024 at 11:22 am
Ira, that piece was full blown apple-polishing with flannel.
June 9th, 2024 at 11:26 am
A soft brown flannel shirt just polished BA’s apple.
June 9th, 2024 at 11:29 am
Great article Ira, his fire is unmatched, I stand by Bowles because he’s the head coach until he isn’t. I’ll always have the opinion that Arians was better, he held his coach’s and player’s more accountable and was tougher on them than Bowles.
June 9th, 2024 at 11:34 am
Tom Brady played for Belechick for 2 decades. After 1 season and a Super Bowl win he had enough of the Kangol hat. Think about it.
June 9th, 2024 at 11:43 am
Absolutely correct. Retaining crucial FAs, solid draft, and more importantly an upgrade on the offensive coaches. Coen is gonna have that team firing out of the gate, not 8 games in and there are signs of hope
June 9th, 2024 at 1:16 pm
I will say the polishing was deftly done. The big takeaway is the bolstering of the notion that Baker Mayfield may become the Bucs version of Drew Brees.
June 9th, 2024 at 1:16 pm
Great article. Thank you for sharing this. So happy that BA is finally relaxing.
June 9th, 2024 at 2:16 pm
Nice article. Is Gruden in the Tampa Bay Hall of fame or has he been removed from the city’s memory completely?
June 9th, 2024 at 2:39 pm
The Arians era was a joyous time to be a Bucs fan.
June 9th, 2024 at 2:52 pm
I love coach. He will never be replaced.
June 9th, 2024 at 3:19 pm
BA was a great coach! He has earned his rightful place in NFL history!
June 9th, 2024 at 6:22 pm
Is 3 years enough to qualify as an era?
What is Bruce’s official current title anyway?
June 9th, 2024 at 6:53 pm
“I stay away on purpose because the year I didn’t, I was around too damn much.”
That BA remark is teed up for me to to drive it 300 yards.
But the free speech police would likely intervene.
And I’m not even a golfer.
June 9th, 2024 at 8:56 pm
Too bad BA hung a perennial loser head coach on Jason’s lap. Would love to see who Jason will hire when he for only the second time in his Bucs tenure would get to pick the head coach.
— Lovie was hired first and then Jason
— Lovie was fired and Dirk hired with Glazer input for JaMiss
— BA was Jason’s first real head coaching hire
— Todd…..we all know the story…..
— Next? Excited to see who it is.
June 9th, 2024 at 9:19 pm
Dave Pear
So now you’re throwing shade at one of only two coaches to win an SB with the Bucs? Really that’s how you roll?
“BA is a loyal dude. His successor is 18-19 with the Bucs after a losing record with the Jets.”
So BA sucks at picking coaching talent eh? He’s not really a winner because he places loyalty over everything including WINNING!!! He shouldn’t be a Bucs fan favorite by your logic because he placed his PERSONAL loyalty over the success of the franchise that helped him to his first SB.
Really logical crap Dave!!!
June 9th, 2024 at 10:59 pm
stpetebucfan Says; “BA is a loyal dude.”
If BA is/was so loyal, how could he have let his protege Leftwich sink and embarrass the team while destroying his own future, and potentially put at risk the career of his other dear friend Todd Bowles ?
In Ira’s article he admitted he stayed around too long.
So, we know he had influence and we know he was “in the building” yet he allowed the obvious failure of his chosen one.
Keep moving folks, nothing to see here.
Oh, I forgot to mention; Brady was dissatisfied with him and the Hat just up and quit. What NFL Head Coach does that in March ?
Maybe his attempt at payback turned and bit him.
June 9th, 2024 at 11:01 pm
Let us not forget that we certainly could have gone back to back.
June 9th, 2024 at 11:07 pm
Maybe after a post season evaluation that took some time, the Glazers figured out what happened and it was ” Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, she gotta go.”
June 9th, 2024 at 11:15 pm
“I stay away on purpose because the year I didn’t, I was around too damn much.”
That’s classic Arians. Even so, he makes it a point to keep his distance from Bowles and the organization he represented so well for three seasons. If Bowles calls, he’ll answer, but Arians is adamant about giving Bowles his space.
Read what you want into those words folks but it speaks volumes to me. I’ll wager Bowles calls to Arians are about as frequent as a Byron Leftwich appearance. But they were a big family !
June 9th, 2024 at 11:21 pm
That’s classic Arians. Even so, he makes it a point to keep his distance from Bowles and the organization he represented so well for three seasons. If Bowles calls, he’ll answer, but Arians is adamant about giving Bowles his space.
Read what you want into those words folks but it speaks volumes to me. I’ll wager Bowles calls to Arians are about as frequent as a Byron Leftwich appearance. But they were a big family !
June 9th, 2024 at 11:23 pm
The algorithm bit me again.
June 9th, 2024 at 11:26 pm
I commented on the Arians statement that he gives Bowles his space and that if Bowles calls he will answer.
Bowles probably calls Arians about as often as Leftwich makes a public appearance.
June 9th, 2024 at 11:28 pm
But Arians used to say they were all such a big loving family and they cared so much for one another.
June 9th, 2024 at 11:31 pm
Loose lips sink ships and the more words that are said and published will eventually confirm what I have believed all along. If the haven’t already.
June 10th, 2024 at 12:15 am
stpetebucfan Says;
Don’t forget that BA praised Leftwich as brilliant and definitely head coach material. So how could such a talent that had been evaluated by such a great talent evaluator fail so badly and embarrass himself without an intervention from his mentor? Loyal dude my a..
I don’t buy the Todd Bowles wanted to run the ball theory. I contend Leftwich and Arians knew exactly what they were doing.
June 10th, 2024 at 8:53 am
Thanks for the tutorial.
June 10th, 2024 at 11:12 am
Dang it Razor.
Citrus was setting a record!!!!
June 10th, 2024 at 11:39 am
This was just a light workout. You must not have read some of my posts last year when I did my best to expose the sabotage (I believe)
that BA and Leftnut perpetrated on the team.
June 10th, 2024 at 11:46 am
BillyBucco Says;
BB do you live near any peach trees ?
June 10th, 2024 at 11:52 am
BB
I ask because you may be someone I know.
June 10th, 2024 at 12:02 pm
In case someone of curious mind is perplexed by my odd nature I blame it all on the Erle Stanley Gardner books my Aunt had me read.
I loved them. I had a hard time choosing between wanting to be an astronaut or Perry Mason.
June 10th, 2024 at 12:04 pm
Always look for clues and there are many surrounding the BA years.