Bruce Arians officially retired from his role as Buccaneers head coach, but he wanted his players to know before the rest of the public. So, he texted them a letter obtained by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo informing them of his decision.
“I wanted to let you all know, before it becomes news in a few minutes, that I have made the decision to transition from coaching into a role in the front office helping Jason (Licht) and his staff,” Arians told his team. “Todd is going to be named the new coach and I know he is going to do a great job continuing to build upon the success we have experienced together these past few seasons.”
In the letter, Arians was most appreciative of his players helping them win the Super Bowl in 2021.
“I wanted to take a minute and thank all of you for your hard work and dedication to this team. It has been a hell of a ride coaching you guys these past three seasons,” he added. “Winning the Super Bowl a couple seasons back was the last real thing I hoped to accomplish as a head coach. That was a special season, and any of you that were here for that know just how much sacrifice and self discipline it took to accomplish that goal. We couldn’t have had this great success without each of you sacrificing and buying in to what we were trying to do here.”
Former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is now Tampa Bay’s new head coach, which was part of the plan. Arians explained to both his players and the public that he wanted to give Bowles a chance to win with this group, and he believes they will have success this year.
“With Tom coming back, the guys we’ve been able to retain, and the new free agents we’ve added, I know this team is built for continued success. That’s why I know now is the time. I want Todd and the rest of your coaches to have every chance to succeed—and I know they will.”
Finally, Arians assured his players that he will still be around in his new front office role, so they should still expect to see him.
“Now, before you start thinking this is goodbye, it isn’t. I’ll still be around the offices and available to cuss you out when you screw things up on the practice field. I look forward to connecting with many of you in person when the offseason program starts to heat up.”
Brady already acknowledged the move publicly, thanking Arians on Instagram not long after the news became official. Byron Leftwich will remain the offensive coordinator, while ILB coach Larry Foote and DL coach Kacy Rodgers are expected to take over defensive coordinator duties from Bowles.
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- Tom Brady Shares Gratitude to Bruce Arians After Coach’s Retirement Announcement
- BucsGameday: A look at the text message Bruce Arians sent to Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
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