* “It was the right time to pass the torch to Todd, said Bucs’ coach Bruce Arians, in announcing his retirement as well as his successor, defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. “I wanted one of my guys to take over.”
In so doing, Arians did more than assure continuity. He further underscored his commitment to diversity by paving the way for the NFL’s fourth black head coach. No one is surprised. Arian’s team had the only NFL staff with three minority coordinators: Bowles, defense; Byron Leftwich, offense; and Keith Armstrong, special teams. And with Bowles’ promotion, the Bucs elevated two black assistants, Larry Foote and Kacy Rodgers, to coordinate the defense. Moreover, last season the Bucs were the only team in the league to have two women in assistant coaching roles.
The last two years have become memorable in Buccaneer lore as the Tom Brady-led Bucs won a lot of games, including a Super Bowl, and became a marquee franchise to networks. But they have also led the league in honoring a commitment to diversity.
For Arians, it’s also a reflection of the ultimate bottom line in a business predicated on winning. “To hear voices in a staff meeting that aren’t the same, that don’t look alike but they all have input, you get better input,” explained Arians. Call it the pragmatism of diversity.
* Forbes has estimated the Rays franchise value at $1.1 billion—or 29th in MLB.