Todd Bowles enters his first season as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following three seasons as the team's defensive coordinator, where he transformed the unit into one of the most productive, opportunistic defenses in the NFL.
From 2019-2021, Tampa Bay ranked third in the league in takeaways (82) and third in sacks (142), joining the Pittsburgh Steelers as the only teams to place in the top five of both categories. In addition to the sacks and takeaways under Bowles' guidance as defensive coordinator, the Buccaneers ranked first in rushing yards allowed per game (82.5), first in rushing yards per attempt (3.72), first in quarterback hits (352), first in defensive fumble recoveries (37), first in passes defensed (241), second in strip sacks (26), third in tackles for loss (262), fourth in forced fumbles (52), tied for fourth in defensive touchdowns (nine), fifth in fewest yards per play allowed (5.13), fifth in passing yards per attempt allowed (6.78), sixth in red zone defense efficiency (54.7%), seventh in lowest third-down conversion rate allowed (37.6%), ninth in total defense (334.1 yards allowed per game) and ninth in goal-to-go efficiency (68.6%).
Over the last two regular seasons, the Buccaneers have allowed the sixth-fewest points per game (21.5) and the fifth-fewest yards per game (329.4). In six postseason contests in the last two years, the Tampa Bay tallied 16 takeaways – seven more than any other team. Bowles was the architect behind a historic defensive performance that catapulted the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl LV victory. His unit held the explosive Kansas City Chiefs' offense to nine points and without a touchdown for the first time in 54 games with Patrick Mahomes as the starting quarterback.
In 2021 alone, Bowles led a defense that finished first in the NFL in quarterback hits (123), third in rush defense (92.5 ypg), fifth in fewest points per game allowed (20.8), tied for fifth in takeaways (29), seventh in sacks (47.0), seventh in fewest yards per play allowed (5.16), eighth in tackles for loss (81), tied for eighth in interceptions (17) and tied for eighth in forced fumbles (16). Four Buccaneers defensive players earned Pro Bowl honors in 2021: outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, nose tackle Vita Vea, linebacker Devin White and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. – the most in a single season on the defensive side of the ball since 2002.
In Tampa Bay's championship season in 2020, Bowles directed a defense that led the NFL in quarterback hits (142), tackles for loss (107) and takeaways (34), while tying for the league lead in sacks (58.0) between the regular season and postseason combined. During the regular season alone, the Buccaneers' defense ranked first in rushing yards allowed per game (80.6), tied for second in quarterback hits (116), tied for second in tackles for loss (91), tied for fourth in sacks (48.0), sixth in total yards allowed per game (327.1) and eighth in points allowed per game (22.2). Additionally, the Buccaneers defense allowed the fifth-fewest first downs (19.9) and tallied the seventh-most sacks per pass attempt (7.78%).
In just his first two seasons, Bowles has helped elevate a Buccaneers defense that ranked 27th in the NFL in yards per game allowed prior to his arrival to a team that finished sixth in that category in 2020. In the Super Bowl, Tampa Bay held the Kansas City Chiefs to just nine points – keeping a team that ranked sixth during the regular season in touchdowns out of the end zone. The nine points given up by the Buccaneers tied for the 10th-fewest in Super Bowl history.
Bowles helped mentor Winfield Jr. into PFWA All-Rookie team honors and coached outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul to his third career Pro Bowl selection.
In his first season in Tampa Bay in 2019, Bowles quickly put an emphasis on stopping the run as he transformed the Buccaneers from the 24th-ranked run defense in 2018 (123.9 rush yards allowed per game) to the top run defense in the NFL in 2019, holding opponents to just 73.8 rushing yards per game and just 3.26 average yards per rush. The 1,181 rushing yards allowed by Tampa Bay in 2019 were the 11th-fewest all-time in a 16-game season. The front seven showed a knack for getting into the opposing backfield, tying for fifth in the NFL in tackles for loss.
The Buccaneers also led the NFL with 96 passes defensed in 2019, tied for the league lead with six defensive touchdowns, ranked third with 21 forced fumbles and finished fifth with 28 takeaways.
In the secondary, Bowles guided a group of predominantly first and second-year players to a notable second-half turnaround in which the defense reduced its passing yards allowed per game from 293.5 in Games 1-8 to 246.8 in Games 9-16, while lowering its total yards allowed per game mark from 371.6 to 316.3 in that same span. The 316.3 total yards allowed per game was the sixth-best mark of any defense over its final eight games of the season.
Bowles' 2019 defense featured three players who took home end-of-season honors, led by Pro Bowl and AP second-team All-Pro outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett. Barrett set a team record with his league-leading 19.5 sacks in 2019, breaking Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp's team record of 16.5 set in 2000. The defense also featured two AP All-Rookie Team members: Sean Murphy-Bunting and Devin White. White led all rookies with 7.0 tackles per game and Sean Murphy-Bunting tied for the most interceptions by a rookie with three.
Bowles joined the Buccaneers after spending the previous four seasons as the head coach of the New York Jets (2015-18). Under Bowles, the Jets posted one of the best run defenses in the NFL, holding teams to just 4.00 yards per carry, the sixth-lowest figure in the NFL during that span, and allowing only 44 rushing touchdowns, tied for the eighth-least in that timeframe. Bowles' Jets defense also allowed opposing offenses to convert only 36.0 percent of third downs, the fourth-lowest mark in the league. Opposing passers completed just 60.6 percent of their passes against the Jets under Bowles, the third-lowest mark in the NFL.
Four different defensive players earned Pro Bowl berths under Bowles in New York, with cornerback Darrelle Revis and defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson being selected in 2015, defensive lineman Leonard Williams being nominated in 2016 and safety Jamal Adams voted to the game in 2018. The 2018 season also saw Jets return specialist Andre Roberts earn Pro Bowl distinction, along with being named first-team AP All-Pro as a kick returner.
Prior to serving as the head coach of the Jets, Bowles spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals (2013-14), including winning Assistant Coach of the Year honors from the Pro Football Writers of America and the Associated Press in 2014. During Bowles' time in Arizona, the Cardinals' defense allowed the third-fewest rushing touchdowns (14), the fifth-fewest points per game (19.5) and the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game (96.6). Bowles' defenses in Arizona also showed a knack for taking the ball away, recording the fifth-most interceptions in the NFL (38) and the most defensive touchdowns in the league, with nine.
While Bowles led the Cardinals' defense, he saw cornerback Patrick Peterson earn first-team AP All-Pro honors in 2013 and earn Pro Bowl honors both years (2013-14). Defensive end John Abraham (2013), cornerback Antonio Cromartie (2014) and defensive end Calais Campbell (2014) each also earned Pro Bowl selections.
Bowles spent one year with the Philadelphia Eagles (2012), serving as the team's secondary coach before being named interim defensive coordinator for the final 10 games of the season. Philadelphia finished ninth in passing yards allowed (216.9 per game) that season.
Before joining the Eagles, Bowles worked as the assistant head coach/secondary coach for the Miami Dolphins for four seasons (2008-11). In the 2011 season, he was named interim head coach for the final three games of the year, going 2-1. Under Bowles' tutelage, Miami's secondary held opposing quarterbacks to a 58.1 completion percentage over that span, the seventh-lowest mark in the NFL.
Prior to his time in Miami, Bowles worked as the defensive backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys (2005-07), coaching three different players to the Pro Bowl (safety Ken Hamlin, cornerback Terence Newman and safety Roy Williams).
His NFL coaching career began in 2000 as the defensive backs coach of the New York Jets, coaching a unit that allowed just 18.3 passing yards per game, the sixth-lowest in the NFL. Following his season in New York, Bowles spent four years with the Cleveland Browns, working as the team's defensive nickel package coach (2001-03) and secondary coach (2004). In 2001, the team set a franchise record with 33 interceptions and in 2004, the Browns allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards in the NFL (181.3 per game).
Before coaching in the NFL, Bowles spent one season as the defensive coordinator at Morehouse College (1997) and two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Grambling State (1998-99).
Bowles played collegiately at Temple and, despite going undrafted in the 1986 NFL Draft, played eight years in the NFL, with the Washington Redskins (1986-90; 1992-93) and the San Francisco 49ers (1991). He was a starter on the 1987 Redskins team that won Super Bowl XXII. Following his retirement as a player, Bowles spent two seasons (1995-96) with the Green Bay Packers player personnel department.
A native of New Jersey, Bowles and his wife, Taneka, have three sons, Todd Jr., Troy and Tyson.
