Bill Cowher Talks To Joe
July 17th, 2019
One man who has both a Super Bowl ring and is a former employer of Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians is liking how the Bucs pulled his old comrade out of retirement and gave him the reins of the team.
That would be Bill Cowher.
Joe is cleaning out his voice recorder of interviews with several NFL big shots earlier this year. Joe had a chance to talk to Cowher just a couple of weeks after the Bucs hired Cowher’s former wide receivers coach.
JoeBucsFan: Bill, you coached with Bruce Arians a long time ago and you have a strong connection with him. You have to have some Bruce Arians stories. Tony Dungy has already remarked how his players and Dungy’s defensive backs used to get after it back in Kansas City.
Bill Cowher: Bruce and I go way back to when we coached in Kansas City with Marty Schottenheimer. I was the linebackers coach [and defensive coordinator] and Bruce was coaching running backs. We always had some very good battles between Derrick Thomas and Christian Okoye in terms of pass protection. [Cowher flashes a cat-ate-the-canary smile.] The greatest thing is that when he became available after a few years with the Browns he came down to coach our receivers [in Pittsburgh]. Bruce is — does a great job relating to the players. He has a very good offensive mind. He’s a good teacher. He has a good feel for the league and the trends that take place. I think [the Bucs] are in really, really good hands. He has a good staff. If you look at the staff he put together, a lot of the key coaches played in the National Football League. I think that is a really big key because I think players relate to people that have been there before. So that is one thing I like about the staff he has put together.
Cowher then went on to tell Joe that Arians and his running backs (namely Barry Word and Okoye) would often battle Cowher and his linebackers (like Dino Hacket, Chris Martin and Thomas) and it would be like a little war between the two coaches, like a game within a practice.
And you know what, Joe likes that kind of an attitude and hopes that mentality rubs off on Arians’ assistants with the Bucs. You know why? If guys are that fired up and that intense and that competitive in practice, it is going to carry over into games.
Schottenheimer, though a rotten playoff coach, had fierce teams in Kansas City and of course, Cowher’s teams were tough as nails in Pittsburgh.
Also an interesting point by Cowher about how Arians has assistants that played in the league. America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, already noted of working with Byron Leftwich: He’s been there; done that.
July 17th, 2019 at 12:21 am
no doubt the team got the best possible coach available for this situation. Unfortunatly dude is old.
July 17th, 2019 at 4:14 am
Your old as you fill. I seen a 80 year old power lifter in the store today. And a 20 year old who hurt his back yesterday. 60 years diffrence. How old is BA? Who cares if he can do it. I think he has enough in him and enough around him to make some noise this season. I can hear the cannons know. I want a defensive power house. I love watching the defence. I hope these young secondary players come in to there own and starts a no fly zone down here in Tampa.
July 17th, 2019 at 4:59 am
Bill Cowher is a class act. This is good news. I do wish HE was our coach though…starting about 10 years ago.
July 17th, 2019 at 6:45 am
I miss watching “the chin” coach … I always sort of figured he’d come out of retirement and coach the Panthers, but he must enjoy the stress-free, non-coaching life. Good for him!
July 17th, 2019 at 6:51 am
BucsFan727 … “I want a defensive powerhouse. I love watching the defence”.
Me too 727, and our Bucs’ defense WILL rise again … and soon. I know that everyone considers BA to be an offensive genius, but he’s learned the defensive side of the ball from some of the greats in the game. I’d venture to say that BA appreciates the value of COMPLEMENTARY FOOTBALL more than any coach we’ve ever had. Gotta love that.
And Magadude, good to see you coming around to the ‘good news’.
July 17th, 2019 at 1:30 pm
Don’t like to hear Dungy praising his Tampa-2 that is far from a new age defense. All these offensive (including BA) and defensive HC (was dying for Cowher) may not know what new football is and how the game has become and continues every year. Those guys were HC, you were allowed to sack a QB.
July 17th, 2019 at 4:25 pm
snookman
Thinking the same thing last night. Told myself “man we got a good coaching squad where we could pick a winner HC when BA leaves.”
Then I said to myself, “Oh sh!t. Forgot Glazer babies own this team.”
July 17th, 2019 at 8:58 pm
@DR…Good evening…I’m not “coming around” to anything. My tone and tenor is usually set to the article. If I agree or disagee, or am happy with something, or in disagreement, I say what I think and usually offer why. If it happens to be plus, great…if not…that’s great too…happy either way.
July 17th, 2019 at 9:00 pm
Magadude … I was ‘pulling your leg’ as we used to say.
July 17th, 2019 at 10:45 pm
I’m loving Bruce. He’s the much awaited relief after wandering the post-Gruden coaching desert… a barren stretch of brutal terrain littered with pretenders, washouts and pig-headed self-destroyers. Of course, I was hopeful after we ran Lovie off for Koetter’s elevation and that didn’t turn out too well so what do I know? This feels different… large, quality staff with complementary experience who know each other well. More than one future HC on this staff.
July 17th, 2019 at 11:51 pm
I have always hoped Cowher would come out of retirement and Coach the Bucs because he is a great Coach and inspires greatness in his teams, so I was thrilled to hear his endorsement of his friend BA. They both have Pittsburg histories! Trust BA the way Cower does! Get on board!
July 18th, 2019 at 5:58 am
@DR…no worries.