Buccaneers hire Bruce Arians as next head coach

Buccaneers hire Bruce Arians as next head coach

Melissa Rawlins / ESPN Images(TAMPA, Fla.) — Bruce Arians is stepping out of retirement and returning back to the football field.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced late Tuesday that they have hired Arians as their next head coach. Both sides agreed to a four-year contract with a fifth-year option.

“Bruce Arians is one of the NFL’s most well-respected coaches over the past two decades and we are excited to have him leading our team,” Buccaneers owner Bryan Glazer said in a statement.

“Bruce has played a large role in the development and career success of some of our league’s best players and we look forward to seeing him continue that work here with our franchise,” Glazer added.

Arians replaces Dirk Koetter, who was fired as Tampa Bay’s head coach on Dec. 31 after three seasons with the team. The Buccaneers finished the 2018 season with a record of 5-11.

This past season, Arians, 66, worked as a NFL game analyst for CBS. The year before, he retired as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals after five seasons with the team.

In a tweet late Tuesday, Arians said he was “proud and honored” to be named the next head coach for the Buccaneers.

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