Arians: Why Bucs’ Ring of Honor Means “More to Me’ Than Canton

(EDITOR’S NOTE: To listen to the Bruce Arians interview, click on the following link: Ep 116: Former Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians Joins The Show (spreaker.com)

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is supposed to be the supreme achievement for NFL players and coaches. Apparently, Bruce Arians didn’t get the memo.

On the latest “Eye Test for Two” podcast, the former Tampa Bay head coach called his addition to the Bucs’ Ring of Honor “as good as it gets for me” … and, yes, that includes the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“For me,” he said, “to be honored by an organization is tops. It’s as big as you can get to put your name up there with Ronde (Barber) and (Mike) Alstott and {Warren) Sapp and (Derrick) Brooks and all the rest … Tony Dungy. So, walking in that stadium for Super Bowl XLIII (as an assistant with Pittsburgh) and now having your name up there on that Ring … that’s as good as it gets for me. “

Now, let’s be honest: The 69-year-old Arians isn’t a candidate for Canton. Not yet, anyway. But his resume (Super Bowl victory, two Coach-of-the-Year awards, a .635 winning percentage, and a 6-3 playoff record) makes him Hall-of-Fame worthy. Nevertheless, he said that he values his selection to Tampa Bay’s Ring of Honor more highly … at least for now.

“I know a lot of people think the Hall of Fame is the end-all-and-be- all,” he said, “and, indeed, if (that happened) it would be great to wear a gold jacket. But this meant more to me personally. “

Arians will be the 14th member of the Bucs’ Ring when his name is added to the façade of Raymond James Stadium this season. He becomes the fourth coach chosen, joining former head coaches Tony Dungy and John McKay and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.

“Without a doubt,” Bucs’ owner and co-chairman Joel Glazer said earlier this year, “he is somebody who deserves to go right up into the Ring of Honor for what he’s done for this franchise (and for) what he represents as a tone-setter, a leader in the National Football League opening doors.”

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In three seasons with the Bucs, Arians was 31-18 during the regular season with a .633 winning percentage and .833 playoff mark that are the best in franchise history. He left voluntarily, stepping down in late March to make way for Todd Bowles, but will remain with the organization as its senior football consultant – which seems ideal for him at this stage of his career.

Reason:  Asked where he was happiest in over 45 years of coaching, he didn’t waver. It’s where he is now.

“I was always happy everywhere until I got fired,” he said, “but Tampa (is where I was happiest). They welcomed our family with open arms. You don’t hire 66 year old head coaches anymore, but they shared a vision of what a winning culture and foundation looked like.

“When we met with them it was such an easy meeting because everybody had seen me coach; they had watched “All or Nothing” (an NFL Films and Amazon documentary on Arians and the 2015 Arizona Cardinals). They knew my style and embraced it.

“So it’s going to be a very, very exciting night and very, very emotional night for me to go into the Ring of Honor when that happens. Three years have just been fantastic, and I’m looking forward to the years to come. “