PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- A couple of years ago, Bruce Arians, who coached at Temple in the '80s, had retired from coaching and was broadcasting NFL games for CBS.
Today, the 68-year-old is the oldest head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl. His Tampa Bay Buccaneers routed the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9, in Super Bowl LV on Sunday night. And he accomplished this in only his second season with the Bucs.
"I think I had been smoking something illegal to really imagine this," Arians said after the victory.
He thanked General Manager Jason Licht, and the team's owners, the Glazer family, for the opportunity.
"They are outstanding. I don’t do anything, man. They do it all. And then we have great, great players," he said. "Jason gets all the credit for the roster, and I just try to get out of the way and not screw it up.”
Related
The humble Arians watched his club trounce Kansas City in a level of dominance unprecedented in the era of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Tampa Bay’s ferocious defense kept the Chiefs' high-powered offense out of the end zone. Arians gave credit to defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
"You can’t give (Todd) enough credit," Arians said. "I think he got a little tired of hearing about how unstoppable they were."
Arians was also giving credit to a coaching staff that is recognized for its inclusivity at a time when the NFL has been under heavy criticism for a lack of diversity in prominent executive and coaching positions.
Related
Many of Arians' top assistant coaches are Black, e.g., Bowles, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong, assistant head coach and run game coordinator Harold Goodwin.
Arians employs two women on his staff: assistant defensive line coach Lori "Lo" Locust and assistant strength and conditioning coach Maral Javadifar. Now they're the first female coaches to be Super Bowl champions.
Sunday night was also special for Arians because his family got to be at the game, including his mother.
"My mom’s up there," Arians said on the trophy celebration stage. "She's 95. Love you, Mom!"
"We had a great day and a half with Mom and my brothers and sisters and brothers- and sisters-in-law, grandkids," Arians said afterwards. "I had a great morning this morning playing with my 2-year-old grandson out in the backyard and pushing him on the swing. And then, came to the game. That’s what makes this all so gratifying, is to be able to share it with our family."
So, what's next for Arians, having now reached one of the highest points in the NFL? He left little doubt about his intentions for next season.
"Hell no. I ain’t going anywhere," he said. "I'm coming back, trying to get two. And then we’ll see after that."