.png) Bowles in 2025 | |||||||||||
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Head coach | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1963-11-18)November 18, 1963 (age 62) Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 203 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Elizabeth | ||||||||||
| College | Temple (1982–1985) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1986: undrafted | ||||||||||
| Position | Defensive back, No. 23, 22 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
Playing | |||||||||||
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Coaching | |||||||||||
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Operations | |||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||||
| Regular season | 59–68 (.465) | ||||||||||
| Postseason | 1–3 (.250) | ||||||||||
| Career | 60–71 (.458) | ||||||||||
| Coaching profile at Pro Football Reference | |||||||||||
Todd Robert Bowles (born November 18, 1963) is an American professionalfootball coach and former player who is thehead coach of theTampa Bay Buccaneers of theNational Football League (NFL). He played college football atTemple and signed with theWashington Redskins as anundrafted free agent in 1986 and was a member of the team that wonSuper Bowl XXII. Bowles was also a member of theSan Francisco 49ers.
Bowles has since served as the head coach of theNew York Jets and Buccaneers, the defensive coordinator for theArizona Cardinals and Buccaneers, and the secondary coach for the Jets,Cleveland Browns,Dallas Cowboys,Miami Dolphins, andPhiladelphia Eagles.
Bowles attendedElizabeth High School inElizabeth, New Jersey.[1] He playedcollege football for theTemple Owls (class of 1985), where Bowles was a four-year starting cornerback. His freshman year in 1982 was under Hall of Fame coachWayne Hardin, and his last three years were under coachBruce Arians, for whom Bowles would be an assistant coach in the NFL decades later when Arians was the head coach of theArizona Cardinals and then theTampa Bay Buccaneers.[2] Bowles recorded seven interceptions in his four college seasons.[3] Bowles left Temple without graduating; in May 2023, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in youth and community development fromMount St. Mary's University.[4]
Bowles was signed by theWashington Redskins as anundrafted free agent on May 7, 1986.[5] He chose the Redskins over six other NFL teams, and signed a contract that included asigning bonus between $8,000 and $10,000. Bowles competed intraining camp withfree safetyRaphel Cherry, who beat Bowles out to earn a spot on the regular season roster.[6] In his second training camp in 1987, Bowles beat outCurtis Jordan for the starting free safety job when Jordan was released during final roster cuts on September 8, 1987.[7] Bowles intercepted a career high four passes and recovered a fumble during the season and was the starting free safety inSuper Bowl XXII, which the Redskins won 42–10 over theDenver Broncos.
On February 1, 1989, after his contract expired, Bowles was left unprotected by the Redskins during"Plan B" free agency, despite being a regular starter at free safety the previous two seasons.[8] This was reportedly due to his poor catching abilities in 1988, as well as his lack of playmaking ability. Bowles negotiated contracts with theDallas Cowboys,Minnesota Vikings, andNew York Giants,[9] but ultimately re-signed with the Redskins.[10] In 1990, Bowles received a salary of $300,000,[11] and started 18 games (including playoffs).[12]
TheSan Francisco 49ers signed Bowles to start for the team in1991 after he was left unprotected by the Redskins again.[13] Bowles played in all 16 games and started in 14 of them. He was waived during final roster cuts on September 1, 1992.[14] The next day, Bowles was claimed off waivers by the Redskins.[15] He was waived by the Redskins during final roster cuts on August 31, 1993.[16]
After retiring as a player, Bowles was a member of theGreen Bay Packers' player personnel staff underRon Wolf in1995 and1996.[17]
Bowles was the defensive coordinator and secondary coach atMorehouse College in 1997, and the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach atGrambling State from 1998 until 1999. He served as the defensive backs coach for theNew York Jets in 2000,Cleveland Browns in 2004, andDallas Cowboys from 2005 to 2007. Bowles was also the Browns' defensive nickel package coach from 2001 to 2003.
Bowles was hired by theMiami Dolphins as the team's secondary coach and assistant head coach on January 23, 2008. After nearly four seasons as the secondary coach and assistant head coach, he was named the interim head coach on December 12, 2011, following the firing of head coachTony Sparano. Bowles' first game as interim head coach of the Dolphins came in Week 15 against theBuffalo Bills, which the Dolphins won on the road 30–23.[18] The Dolphins finished with a 2–1 record under Bowles in 2011.[19]
ThePhiladelphia Eagles hired Bowles as the team's secondary coach on January 30, 2012. On October 16, the Eagles announced that they dismissed defensive coordinatorJuan Castillo from his duties and named Bowles as their new defensive coordinator. Under Bowles, the Eagles finished the season ninth in pass defense and 23rd in rushing defense.[20]
On January 18, 2013, Bowles was hired as defensive coordinator for theArizona Cardinals.[21]
Bowles was voted Associated Press (AP)'s Assistant Coach of the Year for his efforts in the 2014 season.[22] Bowles received 22 of the 50 media members' votes, winning the inaugural award.[23]
On January 14, 2015, theNew York Jets named Bowles their new head coach and signed him to a four-year deal.[24]
On July 28, 2015, it was revealed that Bowles underwent a partial knee replacement surgery.[25] In the2015 season, the Jets went 10–6 in Bowles' first year leading the team, barely missing the playoffs. The 2016 season saw the Jets finish near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories, but 11th in rushing yards.[26]
On December 29, 2017, the Jets announced that Bowles had been retained for the 2018 season and that he signed an extension through 2020.[27] However, Bowles was fired at the end of the 2018 season after the Jets finished the year with a 4–12 record.[28]
On January 8, 2019, Bowles was hired as the defensive coordinator of theTampa Bay Buccaneers, rejoiningBruce Arians as a member of his staff after Arians was hired as the team's head coach.[29][30]
Bowles' defense received praise for its performance in the2020–21 playoffs as it was key in the Buccaneers defeating theNew Orleans Saints 30–20 on the road in theDivisional Round and theGreen Bay Packers 31–26 on the road in theNFC Championship Game.[31] Bowles won his third Super Bowl (his first as a coach) when the Buccaneers defeated theKansas City Chiefs 31–9 duringSuper Bowl LV. Bowles was credited with a game plan that pressured Chiefs quarterbackPatrick Mahomes without resorting toblitzing by utilizing the two-deep safety look and pass-rushing, which prevented the Chiefs' prolific offense from scoring a touchdown while also intercepting Mahomes twice.[32]
On August 4, 2021, Bowles agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Buccaneers.[33]
On March 30, 2022, Bowles was named the head coach of the Buccaneers on a five-year deal afterBruce Arians shifted to a senior football consultant role.[34] In Bowles' first year as head coach, the Buccaneers finished atop theNFC South with an 8–9 record.[35] However, they lost to theDallas Cowboys 31–14 in the Wild Card Round.[36]
Following the 2022 season, starting quarterbackTom Brady announced his retirement and the Buccaneers signedBaker Mayfield in free agency as a result.[37][38] The team finished the 2023 season atop the NFC South for the third consecutive year with a 9–8 record.[39] They defeated thePhiladelphia Eagles 32–9 in the Wild Card Round but lost to theDetroit Lions 31–23 on the road in the Divisional Round.[40][41]
The Buccaneers finished the 2024 season atop the NFC South for the fourth consecutive year with a 10–7 record.[42] However, they lost to theWashington Commanders 23–20 in the Wild Card Round.[43]
Since being elevated to head coach in 2022, Bowles has earned widespread respect for his ability to keep the Buccaneers competitive through major roster transitions. He guided Tampa Bay to three consecutive NFC South titles from 2022–2024, becoming the first head coach in franchise history to win the division in each of his first three seasons. Praised for his steady leadership and defensive expertise, Bowles has overseen the continued development of a young nucleus that includes Calijah Kancey, Yaya Diaby, Zyon McCollum, and Antoine Winfield Jr., while also maximizing the veteran leadership of team captain Lavonte David. His defenses have consistently ranked among the league’s toughest against the run, and his ability to adapt game plans has been credited with keeping Tampa Bay in contention even as the roster evolved following Tom Brady’s retirement. Bowles’ partnership with Jason Licht has been central to sustaining the franchise’s identity as a postseason fixture.
On June 26, 2025, Bowles signed a multi-year contract extension with the Buccaneers.[44]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| MIA* | 2011 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 3rd in AFC East | — | — | — | — |
| MIA total | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
| NYJ | 2015 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in AFC East | — | — | — | — |
| NYJ | 2016 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 4th in AFC East | — | — | — | — |
| NYJ | 2017 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 4th in AFC East | — | — | — | — |
| NYJ | 2018 | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 4th in AFC East | — | — | — | — |
| NYJ total | 24 | 40 | 0 | .375 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
| TB | 2022 | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 1st in NFC South | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toDallas Cowboys inNFC Wild Card Game |
| TB | 2023 | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 1st in NFC South | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toDetroit Lions inNFC Divisional Game |
| TB | 2024 | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 1st in NFC South | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toWashington Commanders inNFC Wild Card Game |
| TB | 2025 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | TBD in NFC South | — | — | — | — |
| TB total | 33 | 28 | 0 | .559 | 1 | 3 | .250 | |||
| Total[45] | 59 | 69 | 0 | .461 | 1 | 3 | .250 | |||
* – Interim head coach
Bowles has served under nine head coaches:
Five of Bowles' assistants have been hired as head coaches in the NFL or NCAA:
Bowles and his wife, Taneka, have three sons: Todd Jr., Troy, and Tyson.[46]