Expert Analysis
3/31/22
3 min read
Todd Bowles Has The Attributes You Look For in a Head Coach
“Todd Bowles has the attributes you look for in a head coach,” according to former Philadelphia Eagles President Joe Banner, who knows a thing or two about hiring in the NFL.
Those attributes? Very strong leadership capability, high character, and high integrity.
“I interviewed him for the head coaching job in Cleveland,” Banner says. “And I thought he would be a good hire.”
So on the evening of March 30th, when the Buccaneers announced that longtime NFL coach Bruce Arians was transitioning to a position as a Senior Football Consultant in Tampa, the team was able to act quickly in promoting Bowles, their defensive coordinator, to fulfill the head coach position.
Bowles has the experience and knowledge to carry on the success the Buccaneers have built the past couple seasons.
“Bowles has an admirable reputation among players and coaches that he has crossed paths with,” says former NFL General Manager Mike Tannenbaum. “He is a hardworking, intelligent and professional coach who has a mastery level understanding of the game.”
“Bowles is an outstanding defensive mind and has been one of the best defensive coordinators the past few years,” added Banner.
Bowles’ defensive expertise contributes to this promotional hiring to head coach. He had a significant impact on their Super Bowl run as well as leading Tampa Bay to the 8th and 5th best defense in the league in 2020 and 2021, respectively. This level of production displays how much of a football intellectual he is when it comes to game planning and getting the most out of his players.
“I don’t think he had the best circumstances in New York to prove what he is capable of,” says Banner. “I believe that he has the ability to lead a talented group this year and then deal with difficulties down the road in future years”
Though Bowles has shown success thus far with Tampa Bay, some doubt his ability as a head coach due to his time with the Jets. Banner and Tannenbaum believe that Bowles has the ability to lead the talented roster and then figure out their path once Brady retires.
Bowles is also known for the relationships and culture he creates when building a team environment.
“He has the ability to create an environment where players are held accountable, but do it in a way that is conducive to developing players,” Tannenbaum says.
This characteristic is necessary for a head coach. Getting the correct pieces in place on a staff and roster are what breed sustained success.
“Bowles is totally capable of putting together really good staff over time,” Banner says. “That was one of the challenges he learned from during his time in New York.
“Other people that have interviewed him in the last few hiring cycles have complimented the work he put into staffing plans.
“With these circumstances sitting here entering April, it's a unique situation that Tampa finds themselves in. Hiring somebody that has some experience probably has some benefits.”
The Buccaneers have been very successful the last couple years and this promotion will give them the best chance to stay on this course. The experience Bowles provides is a great match with the win-now roster they have developed with Tom Brady at the helm. The strong and respected leadership figure that Bowles provides is a great solution to losing an excellent veteran coach such as Arians.
