Bill Parcells On Todd Bowles: “He Knows What He’s Doing”
June 30th, 2025
Click on through to shop at BillCurrieFord.com. Factory pricing is in effect for EVERYONE in June! Bill Currie Ford GM Sean Sullivan is ready to help you PERSONALLY and give you the famous Ira Kaufman discount on top of their great everyday prices. Just ask! Don’t Worry, Drive Currie!
BY IRA KAUFMAN
The Glazer family just showed Todd Bowles the money. A Hall of Fame coach believes it’s a wise investment.
Bill Parcells took some time out from his annual summer trek to Saratoga, N.Y., to discuss Bowles’ contract extension and Baker Mayfield’s success in Tampa.
Bill Parcells weighs in on the Todd Bowles contract extension.
Parcells was Director of Football Operations for the Jets in 2000 when Bowles was hired to run New York’s secondary — his first NFL coaching job. Bowles was also an assistant on the Parcells staff in Dallas and Parcells brought Bowles to Miami in 2008 when he oversaw football operations for the Dolphins.
“I have a very high regard for Todd,” said Parcells, who owns thoroughbred racehorses and has a home in Saratoga. “I know him very well personally. We’re both from close-by areas of New Jersey and I’ve known him since he was playing for Washington.
“This guy’s smart. He knows what he’s doing and he’s doing it. They’ve won like what, three division titles in a row down there since he took over? And I don’t see it slowing down anytime soon. He’s done a good job and he’s a good man, he really is.”
In his first NFL head coaching stint, Bowles went 24-40 with the Jets before he was dismissed following the 2018 season. When Bruce Arians replaced Dirk Koetter as Tampa Bay’s head coach in 2019, he quickly named Bowles his defensive coordinator.
Bowles has averaged nine wins in his first three years as head coach of the Bucs, twice overcoming midseason slumps to win the NFC South.
According to Parcells, the sobering experience in New York has served Bowles well.
“You always learn from your first time around,” Parcells said. “Sometimes it doesn’t end as well as you’d like, othertimes it does. I can’t emphasize this enough — Todd’s very smart. It’s clear that he’s getting the job done in Tampa.”
Mayfield has thrown 69 touchdown passes during his two years under center in Tampa, earning plaudits from Bowles, Jason Licht and the Glazers. Parcells hardly sounds surprised that Mayfield has resurrected a once-promising career.
“He was very well thought of, obviously, coming out of the (2018) draft,” said Parcells. “The scouting opinion on Mayfield was very high and it’s turned out to be true. Most of the time, the situation you get into has a lot to do with it.
“Who is there to groom you has so much to do with a player’s success level. A lot of people don’t realize that. They think it’s like going into Walmart and you can win anywhere …it doesn’t work like that.”
June 30th, 2025 at 2:08 pm
Not surprising that an astute football guy would think the world of Todd.
June 30th, 2025 at 2:29 pm
Cue the whining adolescants. This article doesn’t fit within their narrative, so the vitriol should be flowing like Niagra Falls today. Good times. 🫤
June 30th, 2025 at 2:31 pm
Todd’s most vocal critics in the comments section here would like you to know they are much better judges than Parcels (or anyone else) when it comes to coaching.
June 30th, 2025 at 2:47 pm
“Who is there to groom you has so much to do with a player’s success level. A lot of people don’t realize that. They think it’s like going into Walmart and you can win anywhere …it doesn’t work like that.”
!!!!!!!!
June 30th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
Great piece Ira – with some excellent quotes from the legend who stiffed this organisation badly – TWICE!! LOL
Coach Bowles said himself that he’s not the best coach – nor the worst coach in the league.
Any who care to look though will see an evolving coach. Todd is willing to look at himself and his coaching decisions critically and learn/evolve from his mistakes. As Parcells emphasized – Bowles is VERY smart. Smart enough certainly to find ways each year to become a better and better head coach.
The best is yet to come from this HC and his staff I believe. A talented roster provides the opportunity for a HC to look good. Winning does that ya-know…
I expect we see a good bit of winning this year – and I ain’t talking Charlie Sheen style…..
June 30th, 2025 at 3:19 pm
I’m with the big tuna. How many of Parcell’s coaches have you heard him speak about more glowingly? Belichick is the only one who comes to mind. Todd in the conversation with Bill and Bill is pretty good company. I believe Todd is harder on himself than anyone can be. I also believe every mistake he makes him better. It’s called continuous improvement. Many of the Todd groomed players will improve this year. So will Todd. No one really wants to play the Bucs this year. Go Todd! Go Bucs!
June 30th, 2025 at 3:26 pm
“If you combined the football IQ of every Bowles-hater that posts in the comments section, you’d still need to multiply it by 300 just to reach Bill Parcells’ halftime snack menu.”
June 30th, 2025 at 3:58 pm
Figures Aqualung would not comment. Go ahead tells us how Parcells is wrong.
June 30th, 2025 at 4:00 pm
The Bowles Dynasty
June 30th, 2025 at 4:04 pm
There are Hall of Fame NFL coaches who began their careers with multiple losing seasons.
Tom Landry, whose personality on the sidelines was similar to Bowles, began his career with 5 losing seasons.
In his first two seasons, Bill Walsh began his career at 8-24.
Chuck Noll was 12-30 in his first 3 seasons.
Bill Parcells was 12-19 in his first two seasons. He didn’t have an above .500 career winning record until sometime in his 4th season.
I’m not claiming that Bowles is in the same class as any of those guys. But to assess how good he is (or isn’t) based on his record today is ignorant. You’ve got to look at the circumstances he was dealing with each season. There were things out of his control back when he was with the Jets, and now with the Bucs. In Tampa, he was handed a team with an OC he didn’t choose, and not enough time to make coaching changes, plus the o-line lost Jensen and Marpet to start the season, and the team just began climbing out of salary cap hell.
With the roster as strong as it is now, with so many young players, and a great GM, the Super Bowl window should stay open for years. We’ll see now how good Bowles is. If he goes deep into the playoffs in multiple years and gets into one or more Super Bowls, I would say that the Glazer’s made the right decision extending his contract. If we have another boat parade, I’ll put an exclamation mark on that last sentence.
June 30th, 2025 at 4:13 pm
I wish Todd all the success in the world. At times I wish he would share my emotions during the game, but he doesn’t. He’s a lot like Dungy and even Tom Landry, will he get to that level? Time will tell, there’s no question that the Players respect him. There has been no drama coming out of our locker room, it’s been nothing but Team and Winning since he took over.
June 30th, 2025 at 4:44 pm
That’s all very cute. I wonder what Parcells thinks of Todd’s 29th ranked secondary? I mean CERTAINLY Mr Parcells is aware that Todd Bowles position while he played football was in the secondary. Right…
And let’s not forget that That’s been going WAY DOWN the hill for 2 consecutive years. (That means IN A ROW!) The OPPOSITE of improvement! It wouldn’t be that bad IF the drop off wasn’t so Stunningly Drastic!
Yeah I bet he’d Leave the interview in embarrassment once we started to chat it up about THAT! Or Minimum Change the topic QUICK! Like most of you..
Besides that, Parcells DID stab my Tampa Bay Bucs in the Back TWICE and I HAVEN’T LOST THOSE RECIPES EITHER! He can take a Long walk OFF a Short plank for all I care.
June 30th, 2025 at 4:55 pm
We are destined to ride this love hate roller coaster with Bowles as long as he is here.
He’s our guy and I imagine 95% of Bucs fans support him right now. Waste of energy and waste of excitement for this upcoming season if you aren’t supporting him.
A guy can be the smartest, most player friendly coach in the world but the only thing that matters in the end for us fans is results. Just win coach.
June 30th, 2025 at 5:09 pm
O yeah, how many years has Todd had a shot at head coach and what exactly is his record? I’m gonna be LAZY on those exact numbers because I can afford to be. It’s just so BLATANT that is been ALMOST A DECADE OF BEING A HEAD COACH AND THE BEST HE’S EVER DONE IS TEN WINS….. And THAT was ONLY TWICE! And those two wins were 7/8 years apart…. You can go ahead and color me not impressed!
But I will say it’s been what? 7 years? 8 years now as a head coach between 2 organizations? Going on nine? And how many winning seasons has he had? Is it 2 out of 7? Or is it 2 out of 8? Ah… Close to a Decade!
He’s had PLENTY of time to have Improved his Personal game.
So Many of you are HILARIOUS! Comments like : O ” I believe Todd’s got it figured out this year ” …. Man! LMAO! Yeah I hope so after running defenses and over all teams into the ground FOR YEARS, well it would be nice if Eventually one of you picked the year that Bowles has it all figured out. BECAUSE HE HASN’T IN ALMOST A DECADE!
June 30th, 2025 at 8:08 pm
He is mostly a good coach, but certain bonehead decisions bug me to no end. Playing the corners 15 yards off the ball irks me too. He has said something about correcting that. Maybe not blitzing so much might help too. Reddick theoretically helps that. I like the new draft crop.
June 30th, 2025 at 8:15 pm
Could always go back to Schiano.
June 30th, 2025 at 8:28 pm
Bowles is perfect, outside a few head scratchers. Being a good man is important. The team culture is awesome and that makes the wins mean more, imo.
June 30th, 2025 at 8:33 pm
Okay. Great informative article by a skilled craftsman. Learn something new every day. The more I learn about this coach the more I like him. Great job Sage and Joes.
June 30th, 2025 at 8:57 pm
Of course he says Todd is smart. That is the general consensus on him. Of course he’s well liked by his players. And it’s obvious Parcells doesn’t watch Bucs games or concern himself with details like stats.
Facts – Horrible pass defense two years in a row for the pass defense guru, dropping his pass rushers into coverage and rushing coverage guys. You gotta be a genius to come up with that. And Todd took a 13 win season last year down to 10 and a home playoff loss where his vaunted defense never forced a punt.
One game over .500
That would probably surprise the Tuna if someone told him.