It seems like every football program in America talks about creating a family atmosphere, but few head coaches take that to heart and bring it to the next level.
Bruce Arians came out of retirement to take the Tampa Bay Bucs head coaching job, so clearly, he's set on doing things his way. Arians, who had a six-year stint as the head coach at Temple back in the 80's, had been a lifelong assistant and offensive coordinator before taking over for Chuck Pagano in Indianapolis during the 2012 season while the Colts head coach battled cancer. In Indy, Arians stepped in and led the team to an impressive 9-3 mark which led to the head coaching job with the Cardinals in 2013.
In Arizona, Arians went 10-6, 11-5, and 13-3 in his first three seasons and finished his six-year tenure in the desert 49-30 with two playoff appearances before stepping away from the sidelines following the 2017 season.
When he stepped away, Arians shared that he was retiring from coaching after four decades to spend more time with his family, and to focus on his health. Arians, who is a prostate cancer survivor himself, and his wife Christine also run a foundation called The Arians Family Foundation that supports and develops programs to prevent child abuse and neglect.
That family aspect is something Arians is serious about. This morning, Jourdan Rodrigue shared just how serious Arians is about his staff, many of whom he's worked with in the past, making time for their families.
For Arians, it's simple. Be there for your family.
While "the grind" of coaching gets celebrated all too often, it's great to see Arians, and coaches like him that take similar stances, take this stance about family seriously.