One year, eight months and eight days after retiring from coaching, a 66-year-old Bruce Arians will be back on the sidelines for the Bucs’ Sept. 8 home opener against San Francisco.
Arians waited until age 60 to get his first shot as a head coach, and promptly coached teams to the playoffs in two of three seasons — finishing 10-6 in the other. He announced his retirement after the 2017 season with a 49-30 record and .619 winning percentage.
The best five-season stretch for a Bucs coach: Tony Dungy’s .662 winning percentage from 1997-2001
Can Arians recapture his success? Here’s a look at how the most notable NFL head coaches fared after their hiatus or retirement:
Dick Vermeil, Kansas City (2001-05)
Age when he returned: 65
Hiatus: 2 years
Before hiatus: 76-73 (.510)
After hiatus: 44-36 (.550)
Comment: Vermeil moved across the state of Missouri after creating “The Greatest Show on Turf” in St. Louis, and drawing the curtain down on Tony Dungy’s best shot at a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay. His Chiefs teams reached the playoffs once in five seasons.
Jimmy Johnson, Miami (1996-99)
Age when he returned: 53
Hiatus: 3 years
Before hiatus: 44-36 (.550)
After hiatus: 36-28 (.563)
Comment: A dysfunctional relationship with Jerry Jones cost Johnson a shot at a three-peat with the Cowboys. His Dolphins teams made the playoffs three of four seasons.
Bill Parcells, New England (1993-96)
Age when he returned: 52
Hiatus: 3 years.
Before hiatus No. 1: 77-49 (.610)
After hiatus No. 1: 32-32 (.500)*
Comment: Parcells announced retirement No. 1 due to health reasons following the Giants’ 20-19 victory over the Bills in Super Bowl 25 in Tampa. Two years later he left Hugh Culverhouse “jilted at the altar” when he backed out of a handshake agreement to become the Bucs’ head coach. It worked out for Parcells and the Patriots, whom he took to Super Bowl 31.
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Explore all your optionsGeorge Seifert, Carolina (1999-01)
Age when he returned: 59
Hiatus: 3 years
Before hiatus: 98-30 (.766)
After hiatus: 16-32 (.333)
Comment: Seifert owned a Super Bowl title and the best winning percentage of any head coach in NFL history when the 49ers refused to offer him a contract extension. He resigned in protest. His first Panthers team went 8-8 — a four-game improvement — but Seifert lost his final 15 games in 2001 and got fired.
Bill Parcells, Dallas (2003-06)
Age when he returned: 62
Hiatus: 4 years
Before hiatus: 138-100 (.579)
After hiatus: 34-30 (.531)
Comment: A year after jilting the Bucs yet again, Parcells started a partnership with Jerry Jones that had the feel of Patriots Southwest (Drew Bledsoe, Terry Glenn) for a time. His Dallas teams twice made the playoffs, never winning — in part thanks to Tony Romo’s fumbled snap on a potential field goal late in a playoff game against Seattle.
Mike Ditka, New Orleans (1997-99)
Age when he returned: 58
Hiatus: 5 years.
Before hiatus: 121-95 (.560)
After hiatus: 15-33 (.313)
Comment: “God puts people in places for reasons, and he probably put me here to be humbled. I deserve it,” Ditka said late in a 3-13 season before which he traded his entire 1999 draft for Ricky Williams -- and appeared on the cover of ESPN The Magazine with Williams, who was wearing a wedding dress.
Jon Gruden, Oakland (2018-)
Age when he returned: 55
Hiatus: 10 years
Before hiatus: 95-81 (.539)
After hiatus: 4-12 (.250)
Comment: Some Bucs fans chanted his name at his 2017 Ring of Honor ceremony in hopes Gruden would leave the Monday Night Football booth and coach Tampa Bay again. Instead, he opted for a Raiders sequel, which played on HBO’s Hard Knocks in August. Say this for him, he’s entertaining.
Joe Gibbs, Washington (2004-07)
Age when he returned: 64
Hiatus: 12 years
Before hiatus: 134-60 (.691)
After hiatus: 30-34 (.468)
Comment: He won Super Bowls with Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien at quarterback, but asking him to do it with Patrick Ramsey, Mark Brunnell and Jason Campbell was a bit much. Let the record show Gibbs’ final postseason win came at Raymond James Stadium — a 17-10 victory over the Bucs in the 2005 NFC wild-card game.
Dick Vermeil, St. Louis (1997-99)
Age when he returned: 61
Hiatus: 15 years.
Comment: Vermeil blazed the path that Gruden followed, building a distinctive career in broadcasting before saying yes the third time Rams president John Shaw asked him to return to the sideline. Think of how differently he would be remembered, Bucs fans, if Bert Emanuel had benefited from what became the so-called Bert Emanuel rule in the 1999 NFC Championship game. Vermeil declared the second of three retirements after winning Super Bowl 34.
Contact Mike Sherman at msherman@tampabay.com. Follow @mikesherman
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