Retiring as Coach, Bruce Arians Joins the Buccaneers’ Front Office

Bruce Arians, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ head coach for the past three seasons who led the team to a Super Bowl title, will become a consultant in the team’s front office, the team announced Wednesday night. Todd Bowles, the team’s defensive coordinator, will replace Arians as head coach.

Arians, who is a cancer survivor, said in a statement that his surprise decision to step down was not related to his health. He told his coaching staff and players on Wednesday evening after departing early from the annual N.F.L. meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.

“I have accomplished more than I ever dreamed I could during this incredible coaching journey,” Arians said in his statement. “For me, this is about more than just trying to add more wins to my coaching record.”

Arians, 69, said he began thinking about his “personal transition plan” earlier this off-season. He wanted to ensure that Bowles, who played for Arians at Temple and served as Arians’ defensive coordinator for both the Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals, would have “the best opportunity to succeed.” This will be the second N.F.L. head coaching opportunity for Bowles, who went 26-41 in four seasons with the Jets.

As a head coach, Arians was 80-48-1, a .624 winning percentage. In eight seasons leading the Indianapolis Colts, on an interim basis, the Cardinals and the Buccaneers, four of his teams qualified for the postseason. The Buccaneers won the Super Bowl title during the 2020 season, Arians’ second in Tampa.