The NFL coaching carousel never stops spinning, and this offseason has been no exception. Ten teams have already moved on from their head coaches, and with the Raiders and Cardinals still searching, the league's sideline shuffle continues. Since 2021, a staggering 37 head coaches have been hired-an eye-popping number that reflects just how short the leash can be in today’s NFL.
And yet, amid that constant churn, a few have managed to hold their ground. Todd Bowles is one of them.
The Buccaneers head coach is now one of just two remaining from the 2022 hiring class, alongside Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. That year saw 10 coaches land new gigs.
Four seasons later, only two are still standing with the teams that brought them in.
Bowles’ tenure in Tampa Bay has been anything but smooth sailing, but when you zoom out and look at the big picture, his performance stacks up more favorably than you might expect. According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, Bowles ranks 12th out of the 37 head coaches hired over the past five years-a top-third placement that might surprise some, especially after the way the Bucs' 2025 season ended.
Let’s be honest: Tampa Bay’s collapse from a 6-2 start to an 8-9 finish was brutal. The team missed the playoffs, and fan frustration boiled over.
Calls for Bowles’ job were loud and persistent. But the organization stuck with him, and now he’s been tasked with reshaping his staff heading into what feels like a defining 2026 campaign.
Bowles has already made some notable moves. He brought in Zac Robinson as his new offensive coordinator-Mayfield’s fourth in as many years.
Danny Smith is taking over special teams, and other assistant hires are in the works. It’s a clear signal that Bowles is pushing chips to the center of the table.
This is his shot to turn things around.
Barnwell’s assessment of Bowles highlights both the good and the bad. On the plus side, Bowles helped guide the Bucs through a tricky transition-from the Tom Brady era to the Baker Mayfield experiment-without the team falling off a cliff.
Tampa Bay stayed competitive, winning a playoff game in dominant fashion against the Eagles and giving the Lions and Commanders all they could handle in postseason losses. That’s no small feat in a league where quarterback turnover often spells disaster.
Defensively, the results have been mixed. Bowles’ units have ranked between 11th and 18th in EPA per snap over the past four seasons-not disastrous, but not quite the elite level fans saw when he was fully focused on coordinating the defense.
Still, there’s been growth in other areas. Barnwell points out that Bowles has improved his late-game decision-making, shaking off some of the overly conservative tendencies that plagued his early tenure.
The reality is, Bowles has kept the Bucs relevant in a division that’s been up for grabs more often than not. Critics will say he’s benefitted from a weak NFC South, and there’s truth to that. But relevance in the NFL is no guarantee-just ask the long-suffering franchises that would kill for consistent 8-to-10-win seasons and a shot at January football.
That said, the bar in Tampa has been raised. This isn’t the post-Gruden, pre-Brady era anymore.
The fanbase isn’t content with mediocrity, and the front office knows it. Bowles may have built a solid foundation, but now the expectations are clear: it’s time to go from competitive to contending.
Entering his fifth season, Bowles faces the ultimate test. Can he elevate this team beyond its current ceiling? Can he prove that he’s more than a stabilizer and actually the coach who can lead the Bucs back to the top of the NFC?
Time will tell. But for now, in a league where coaching turnover is the norm, Todd Bowles’ continued presence in Tampa Bay-and a top-12 ranking among his peers-speaks to a level of competence and resilience that shouldn’t be overlooked. The pressure is on, but the opportunity is there.