Bruce Arians: The Man, the Myth, the Friend

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Buccaneer fans are yelling with excitement about our new HC, and as it turns out, he’s a whisperer. A quarterback whisperer. Already assembling a formidable staff, Bruce Arians has a deep Rolodex of talented coaches he calls friends. As our new head coach settles into his digs at One Buc Place, let’s take a closer look at Bruce Charles Arians.

The Man

The first thing that hits you right out of the gate is that Arians married up.  His beautiful wife Christine has a great smile and, fortunately for Arians, an even greater sense of humor.  A compassionate man who cares deeply about his family, Bruce Arians didn’t rise to the pinnacle of his profession without support on the home front.  Welcome to Tampa Bay, familia Arians’.  If there is anything we can do for you, just ask.

The Coach

An impressive resume of college coaching includes working for two (2) seasons under college legend Paul “Bear” Bryant at Alabama.  A passionate competitor, coach Arians coined the term “no risk it, no biscuit.”  Working with pro bowl quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Carson Palmer and Andrew Luck has cemented his reputation as a developer of QB’s.  There is not much sugarcoating with Coach Arians.  He shoots from the hip but speaks from the heart. This quality has endeared him to many players he’s coached.

The Friend

Coach “Bear” Bryant handed Arians his coaching philosophy early on: coach ‘em hard, hug ‘em later.  He was initially exposed to this philosophy while a player at Virginia Tech under HC Jimmy Sharpe, himself a “Bryant” disciple.  To call both men a friend means more to Arians than any accolades football can bring.  It speaks volumes that so many former players also call Coach Arians a friend.  Like a gravitational force at the center of a football universe, Arians’ infectious style of coaching, mentoring and teaching seems to rub off on those around him.

An old equipment manager at Virginia Tech, Luke Linden, once said to the coach, “So, you wanna coach, boy. Let me give you some advice. Build your house on wheels.” Fortunately for Buccaneer fans those wheels have pulled into Tampa Bay and that might just be something to yell about.  

Sources: ESPN.com, NFL Network, Wikipedia, Google Search

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