Bruce Arians Confirms He Nearly Retired After Buccaneers Won Super Bowl 55

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians is happy in his retirement, but if he had his way, it wouldn't have taken this long for him to step away from the sidelines.

Arians told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times that he originally intended to retire after the Bucs won Super Bowl LV two years ago, but he chose to stick around because he wouldn't have been able to decide who his successor would be at that time.

"Yeah, and I couldn't," Arians said. "I couldn't guarantee who would get the job. I thought I'd guaranteed it in Arizona (when he retired after the 2018 season), and it didn't happen and five guys didn't have jobs. This way, I guaranteed 31 families were taken care of. That was big for me—and her."

Arians was referring to his wife, Christine, who is the "driving force" behind the Arians Family Foundation, per Stroud. The foundation "supports CASA [Court Appointed Special Advocates] in making sure that children who are involved in the court system, as a result of abuse or neglect by their families, receive the love and help they need."

Former Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is now the head coach of the team. Arians has been praised for the diversity on his staff that in part provided opportunities for coaches of color.

The Buccaneers had a 13-4 record last season before getting eliminated in the NFC Divisional Round. Star quarterback Tom Brady is back for a 23rd season after ending his retirement in less than two months. Tampa Bay is in a strong position to compete for another Super Bowl run in what is expected to be a weak NFC in 2022.

✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content

But that's no longer something Arians has to worry about. Stroud reported that the 69-year-old is sleeping better and feeling healthy now that he's no longer coaching. However, he's still getting used to his new role as a team adviser in Tampa's front office.

"It was really weird going to the office the first time," Arians said. "You know, I almost walked in Todd's office."