Todd Bowles was named head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday, and it does not sound like he even had to interview for the job. That is usually against NFL rules, but it appears the Bucs found a loophole.
Bowles is taking over as head coach in Tampa in the wake of Bruce Arians’ retirement. Typically, NFL teams are required to interview at least two external minority candidates for head coaching vacancies under the Rooney Rule. The Buccaneers did not do that. As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network notes, they were not subject to the Rooney Rule because their coaching transition happened after March 1.
The #Bucs didn’t have to comply with the Rooney Rule before hiring new head coach Todd Bowles because it’s after March 1 and potential candidates could be blocked from interviewing. From the anti-tampering policy: pic.twitter.com/Ezc99ixaCL
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 31, 2022
That means the Buccaneers were free to promote whomever they wanted without interviewing external candidates. Arians said one of the reasons he decided to step aside was to put Bowles, a minority candidate, in a position to succeed.
You have to wonder if the NFL will tweak the Rooney Rule again. Imagine if the Bucs had replaced Arians with a white coach and not interviewed minority candidates? They would have been operating within the rules, technically. We’re guessing people wouldn’t want to hear that.
This will be Bowles’ second stint as an NFL head coach. He held that title with the New York Jets from 2015-2018. Bowles finished with a 26-41 record and no playoff appearances in New York.
Photo: Sep 9, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles looks on before a game against the Dallas Cowboysn at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
