The Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear to have found their man, as Bruce Arians and the team have strong mutual interest and should begin negotiating on a contract, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
Sources: The #Bucs are focusing on hiring former #AZCardinals coach Bruce Arians as their new coach and the strong interest is mutual. Negotiations are likely to begin soon. Here we go.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 8, 2019
Ever since Arians indicated he was interested in the job vacated by Dirk Koetter, this seemed like an inevitable outcome. This is not the first report indicating a deal between the two sides would ultimately get done, either.
The former Arizona Cardinals head coach has loved the talent of Jameis Winston, and his vertical passing attack seems like the perfect fit for not only the quarterback but also the team’s offensive weapons.
During his tenure with the Cardinals, Arians went 49-30-1. Before that, he was an interim head coach in Indianapolis, where he went 9-3 back in 2012. A veteran of both college and the NFL, he’s been coaching since the mid 1970s when he began as a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech.