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Bruce Arians steps down as Buccaneers coach while stepping up for an old friend who deserves a second chance

Published

2 years ago

March 31, 2022

In walking away, Bruce Arians is walking the talk.

The Super Bowl-winning coach is stepping down as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so his longtime friend and extremely qualified defensive coordinator Todd Bowles can get his shot at running a successful team.

“I wanted to ensure when I walked away that Todd Bowles would have the best opportunity to succeed,” Arians said in a statement Wednesday night. “So many head coaches come into situations where they are set up for failure, and I didn’t want that for Todd.”

Arians has long been an ally to Black people and minorities. As the starting quarterback at Virginia Tech in the 1960s, he became the first white player to have a Black roommate. He’s a champion for diversity in NFL coaching ranks, adding women to his staff and having three Black coordinators on staff.

As well as any white NFL coach can, Arians has known the struggle and plight of the Black football coach. That is, in part, why I believe he has made the unusual decision to retire from coaching as late as March 30.

Leaving now ensures not only that Bowles gets the job but a great job at that. So often, NFL coaches become head coaches of bad teams. That’s likely why the job was open in the first place. As we know, Black coaches rarely get head coaching jobs. The ones they do usually stink worse than the other ones that are available.

And if you’re a Black former head coach like Bowles? Good luck getting that second gig. Only seven other Black men have ever been the permanent head coach of at least two NFL franchises in their careers.

Bowles’ first crack at coaching was a failure. His New York Jets went 24-40 in his four years there, and they were marred by poor free agency decisions, worse draft picks and inconsistent quarterback play. I spoke with him during the 2020 season about how he wouldn’t just jump at the next opportunity just to be a head coach again.

“I think the situation has to be right and you go from there. If the situation’s not right … if it’s not a match, I won’t take it to take it,” Bowles said then. “First time around, probably, because you really want to be a head coach and do good and save the world. But after going through it with experience and you know situations have to be right for you to succeed anywhere, and obviously, you have to bring a lot to the table. But they have to bring something to the table, too. And if it’s not a match then it’s just not a match.”

The move to install Bowles, the fourth Black head coach in Buccaneers history, comes against a backdrop of the NFL continuing its decades-long battle with diversity in its head-coaching ranks. Just this week, the league (again) tweaked the Rooney Rule, required all teams to hire a minority offensive assistant coach and created an expert panel to submit recommendations to NFL team owners. All while Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL will reportedly get two new plaintiffs in the coming days.

Arians’ decision to retire while promoting Bowles reminds me of what legendary UNC men’s basketball coach Dean Smith did in 1997. He shocked the sports world when he retired just before the start of the season with a team ready-made for the Final Four, just so that he could ensure his longtime assistant, Bill Guthridge, would finally get his shot. Arians has known Bowles since the former played under him as a starting cornerback for Temple in the mid-1980s.

And Arians doesn’t turn over just any team. It’s one with Tom Brady back looking for an eighth Super Bowl title.

Already there are conspiracy theories, though. For people who can’t subscribe to Occam’s razor, they’d rather believe a fairytale that goes something like this: Brady returned to Tampa under the condition Arians no longer be the head coach. The GOAT didn’t have a great relationship with the blunt head coach. Without making it obvious, Brady engineered a return from his clunky retirement but only if the Bucs would can Arians. And in a league that’s a sieve for information, it would all be kept under wraps for nearly a month.

Sureeeee.

There’s no Babushka Lady or Umbrella Man here. Instead, the answer here appears to be rather straightforward.

A lifelong ally who’s nearing 70 years wanted to do right by a successful Black coach and longtime friend.

Arians could have gone out on top after the 2020 season with his championship but decided to try for a second and ultimately came up short on the field. I’d say by making this move, he still went out on top.

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Related Topics:Arians Bruce Buccaneers chance coach deserves Friend stepping steps

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Celtics HC Reacts To Jayson Tatum Getting NBA Honor

Published

2 mins ago

December 5, 2023

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(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Right now, the Boston Celtics appear to be the best team in the NBA, and true to their storied tradition, they’re especially getting it done on the defensive end.

But their offense isn’t too shabby, and Jayson Tatum, their best player, is leading the way by averaging 27.4 points a game so far this season.

He was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for October and November as the Celtics entered Monday tied for the best record in the league.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been named the Kia NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in October/November. pic.twitter.com/3ehktTebWp
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 4, 2023

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum doesn’t get enough credit or recognition for being as great as he is, per NBC Sports Boston.

"I don't think he gets enough credit for balancing both sides of that coin."(being a team player and a star player)
Joe Mazzulla on Jayson Tatum being named EC player of the month for October and November pic.twitter.com/4ilIX9qnVI
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) December 4, 2023
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Tatum isn’t the most exciting or dazzling scorer in the NBA today, but as Mazzulla pointed out, he is team-oriented and will also help make the game easier for his teammates.

Throughout their history, the Celtics have been known for the team taking precedence over a dominating superstar, but true basketball fans know just how capable Tatum is.

He considers himself a disciple of the late great Kobe Bryant, and he often bails his team out with contested 3-pointers that are reminiscent of the Los Angeles Lakers legend.

The knock against Tatum, at least at this point of his career, is that he has been lackluster in big playoff games, such as during the 2022 NBA Finals when Boston blew a 2-1 series lead and lost to the Golden State Warriors.

But this time around, he has more help than ever on offense with the offseason acquisitions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.

The post Celtics HC Reacts To Jayson Tatum Getting NBA Honor appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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Suns HC Offers An Update On Bradley Beal’s Health

Published

6 mins ago

December 5, 2023

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(Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images)

The Phoenix Suns are starting to heat up, as they have won eight of their last 10 games and recently went on a seven-game winning streak.

Kevin Durant continues to play outstanding basketball despite all the wear and tear he has on his body, and co-star Devin Booker is blazing away in his own right as Phoenix has gotten out to a 12-8 record.

The one notable name missing from their active roster has been Bradley Beal, who has played in just three games this year and is dealing with a back ailment.

According to head coach Frank Vogel, he will not play on Tuesday when Phoenix begins the knockout round of the In-Season Tournament on the road versus the Los Angeles Lakers, via Duane Rankin.

Frank Vogel on Bradley Beal (back):
"He's making progress, but still no timetable. He's out tomorrow."
Beal entering 3rd week of three-week rehab for low back strain.
Ruled out Tuesday's #NBA In-Season Tournament game at Lakers.
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Only played 3 games with #Suns (Avg. 17.3 ppg.) https://t.co/XNjvdSUMou
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 4, 2023

Beal was acquired this past summer in a big trade that gave the Suns arguably the best trio of stars in the entire league.

It led some to pick them to reach the NBA Finals, even over the defending world champion Denver Nuggets, but with Beal ailing, they haven’t reached anything close to their true potential.

Their bench is also a question mark — while guards Eric Gordon and Grayson Allen have been playing well, they lack any quality reserves in their frontcourt.

Beal has historically been a very potent scorer, but it also looks like the Suns, who don’t have a true point guard, want him to masquerade as one once he’s healthy.

He has a career average of 4.3 assists a game, but he peaked at 6.6 dimes a contest as recently as the 2021-22 season.

The post Suns HC Offers An Update On Bradley Beal’s Health appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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ESPN Analyst Has 1-Word Description For Warriors’ Struggles

Published

10 mins ago

December 5, 2023

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(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

After falling short in the NBA playoffs to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors headed into the NBA offseason determined to shake things up, and that they did by trading Jordan Poole for veteran point guard Chris Paul.

Even though the move seemed a bit strange at the time, many believed it might ultimately be something that makes the team better moving forward because Poole seemed to be regressing or simply not caring about his shot selection on the floor, which has carried over to the Washington Wizards.

Despite the absence of veteran forward Draymond Green to start the season, the Warriors looked pretty good to begin the 2023-24 campaign with Paul joining the squad.

Unfortunately, that didn’t last long, as the team has begun to struggle with Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins not looking like the same players and Green letting his frustration out on opponents in the worst way possible.

After starting the season with a 5-1 record, the Warriors have since lost 10 more games and currently sit under .500 at 9-11, with the potent offense of old seemingly being a thing of the past in San Francisco, as ESPN’s Marc Spears points out via NBA on ESPN.

"Offense." @marcspears on the Warriors' biggest issue. pic.twitter.com/LY3jYz3V2Z
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 4, 2023

Fortunately for Golden State, there’s plenty of time to turn things around and get back on track as a legitimate force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference.

However, if the Warriors can’t get things figured out before the NBA trade deadline in February, this dynasty may finally come to an end as the front office has to consider moving Thompson and/or Wiggins.

The post ESPN Analyst Has 1-Word Description For Warriors’ Struggles appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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