New Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Nick Rapone will get to work with the Bucs young secondary.

Getting the band back together seems to be a theme of the off-season for Tampa Bay Buccaneers new head coach Bruce Arians. Hiring Coach Nick Rapone is no exception.

When we last Meet

Coach Rapone has worked with Coach Bruce Arians at a few stops over the years. The first stop was Temple University as his defensive coordinator and secondary coach from 1983 to 1988, where he coached another member of the Bucs staff in Todd Bowles. Rapone then again joined Arians as the defensive backs coach with the Arizona Cardinals from 2013 to 2017.

Coaching Experience

Tampa will be the 14th stop as a coach. Coach Rapone started coaching in 1979 as Graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh. Over the years he has coached on the High school, College, and Professional levels. He has spent all his coaching career on the defensive side of the ball. In 2006 joined the coaching staff of the University of Delaware where he was a part of two NCAA division I football championship subdivision national runner-up teams, including a 2010 squad that finished 12-3. After that season, he was named the 2010 Football scoop NCAA division I FCS Coordinator of the year. In 2013 he made the jump from College to the NFL. As the secondary coach under Coach Arians in Arizona he helped lead the Cardinals to the NFL’s #6 overall rated defense, which forced 30 takeaways including 20 interceptions

Ready to start

When asked about the opportunity Coach Rapone said “I never expected Bruce to come out of retirement. It was a total shock, but I am happy, that’s for sure. Not many coaches get a chance to coach in the NFL. When Bruce called to go Tampa, I didn’t hesitate. I told him, I’m ready, let’s go, although I have to resign in Orlando first”. Coach Rapone had agreed in June to join the staff of Steve Spurrier with the Orlando Apollos of the new Alliance of American Football.

With the years of experience that Coach Rapone has working with secondary, I am looking forward to seeing what the young talent we have can become. This off-season has been a very bright one and I, for one, am looking forward to what is to come in the upcoming season.

GO BUCS!