Bruce Arians Not Against Returning to Buccaneers Job 'If It Were Open'

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a long way out from their Super Bowl run. It's only been six years, but since then, the Bucs have had a winning record just twice and have won a single playoff game after winning it all in 2020.

Head coach Todd Bowles has been under fire for some time now following a late-season collapse last year and a 3-6 run at the moment. Bowles took the job in 2022 after head coach Bruce Arians stepped down due to health issues, and since then, Tampa Bay has been up and down.

Arians has been out of the game for a bit, but during a recent podcast appearance with Jordan Schultz, he said that he's now open to coaching again — and that maybe, if his old job were open, he wouldn't be against taking it.

Bruce Arians Open to Bucs Return?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians looks on in the second half against the New Orleans Saints. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians looks on in the second half against the New Orleans Saints | USA TODAY Sports

“This is the first time I had the itch again. I had no desire to go back,” Arians said. “After open-heart surgery, I have so much more energy. It's amazing... we'll see what happens."

News: Super Bowl-winning HC Bruce Arians tells me he wants to return to coaching.

“This is the first time I had the itch again. I had no desire to go back. … After open-heart surgery, I have so much more energy.”

Full interview drops soon! pic.twitter.com/QyNbIYmsyi
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) November 12, 2026

It gets more interesting, though. Tampa Bay Times writer Rick Stroud contacted Arians after the clip and asked if he would be interested in returning to Tampa Bay as head coach. His response?

"If it were open, yes."

I asked Bruce Arians if he would consider returning to the Bucs. “If it were open, yes,” he said. https://t.co/akaIE1rPTw
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) November 12, 2026

Arians is no longer tied to Tampa Bay as a head coach, so no team would have to trade for him. He would be free to pursue any coaching job he would want to pursue, and that would include Tampa Bay's should Bowles be fired at any point before or after the regular season.

Arians is arguably the most successful coach in Bucs history, winning a Super Bowl with the team and netting a .655 winning percentage with 31 wins — the best mark in the franchise.

The Bucs had a strong tenure with Arians, but Bowles hasn't been fired just yet, and Arians would be an older candidate in a league that is increasingly turning toward younger coaches as offense and defense evolve at a rapid rate.

It remains to be seen just how much interest Arians will draw, even from Tampa Bay. For right now, though, the Bucs are 3-6 and resting during their bye week before trying to string some wins together for the remaining eight games of the season.

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