Bruce Arians is leaving the door cracked open on a coaching comeback, and the reason is simple: the fire is back.
The Super Bowl-winning former head coach told Jordan Schultz that he has started to feel that familiar pull toward the sideline again after previously being certain he was done. Arians, 74, said the shift came after open-heart surgery changed how he felt day to day.
“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,” Arians said.
Arians stepped away after the 2021 season, and health issues had made the grind of coaching tougher to handle. During his final season, he dealt with a torn Achilles, which led to a back injury that made standing for long stretches uncomfortable. He was also keeping tabs on an aneurysm in his heart.
Now, he says the energy is different.
September was the point when the thought of returning first surfaced, and Arians pointed to one thing in particular he missed: being around the players. His son, who coaches high school football in Arizona, has also helped bring that feeling back. Their conversations about football have played a part in rekindling Arians’ interest.
He has not talked with any NFL teams about a possible return, and he made clear he is not planning to coach this year. Still, he didn’t shut the door completely, saying, “we’ll see what happens.”
Arians’ coaching résumé already stands on its own. He became head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2013 after winning AP NFL Coach of the Year in 2012 while filling in for Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano during his cancer treatment. He spent five seasons in Arizona and won another Coach of the Year award in 2014 before retiring after the 2017 season.
He came back in 2019 to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and guided them to a Super Bowl LV win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Arians finished his head coaching career with an 80-48-1 regular-season record, four playoff appearances and a Super Bowl championship. With his energy up and his appetite for the game back, it sounds like one more run can’t be ruled out.
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