Bruce Arians Is Stepping Down As Buccaneers HC, DC Todd Bowles To Take Over
Bruce Arians is stepping down from his position as Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach.
According to the LA Times' Sam Farmer and Peter King, Arians will be leaving his role as HC and handing the reins to Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
Bowles and the Buccaneers have agreed to a five-year head coaching deal.
The breaking news also states that Arians will not be entirely departing from his post; instead, opting to step into a front-office role as Senior Football Consultant for the Bucs.
Tampa Bay released a statement late Wednesday. Arians provided context on his abrupt announcement.
"I have spent most of the last 50 years of my life on the sidelines as a football coach in one form or another. Today, I have made the decision to move from the sidelines into another role with the Buccaneers front office, assisting Jason Licht and his staff.
"I love football. I love the relationships, the strategy, the competition—everything. It has been one hell of a ride, but I know this is the right time for me to make this transition.
"So why now?
"The simple answer is that I have accomplished more than I ever dreamed I could during this incredible coaching journey. Winning Super Bowl LV at our home stadium, with my mom and family in attendance, was really the last item I wanted to check off my career bucket list. For me, this is about more than just trying to add more wins to my coaching record."
Arians was the third-oldest active head coach (69) behind New England's Bill Belichick and Seattle's Pete Carroll.
A year removed from their latest Super Bowl win, Tom Brady and the Bucs appeared ready to round up the crew for another championship run when the QB announced his un-retirement this offseason.
Prior to his time as Tampa Bay's DC, 58-year-old Todd Bowles served as the New York Jets' head coach between 2015-18.
"I am appreciative of the Glazer family and Jason Licht for having faith in me to take on this role, and to Coach Arians for his support and guidance over the past four decades," Bowles said in the statement.
"Tampa has become home for my family, and we are excited to remain part of this community for years to come. As an organization, we have all the pieces in place to continue the winning standard that has been established here in recent years. I am eager to get started with our players, coaching staff, and front office in preparation for the 2022 season."
In his three seasons as Bucs head coach, Arians went 31-18 during the regular season. He led the team to their Super Bowl 55 win.
Stay tuned with OutKick as the breaking news develops. Follow OutKick's Armando Salguero as he joins the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' scheduled press conference on Thursday.
Follow along on Twitter: @AlejandroAveela