Todd Bowles coaching timeline: How many teams Buccaneers coach has led and career record

Todd Bowles is one of the best coaches in the NFL on the defensive side of the ball. He has made a career at the helm of formidable stop units that create terrors for the opposing quarterback. 

The 60-year-old has been in football for over 25 years. He first got his start at the college level before breaking into the NFL in 2000. Since then, he has been a staple in the league, spending time across numerous organizations, including the Browns, Jets, Cowboys, and Eagles. 

The Buccaneers head coach is in his third season with the Tampa Bay club in the head coaching role. He first joined the team in 2019, but he took over control in 2022 following Bruce Arians’ departure from the position. Tampa Bay has won the NFC South in each season with Bowles in charge and are looking to make it three in a row in 2024. 

While Bowles has been in the league for quite some, he is currently in his second stint as a full-time head coach. So, where else was he the sideline boss?

Here is everything to know about Bowles’ time in the NFL as a head coach. 

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Todd Bowles coaching timelineMiami Dolphins, 2011Bowles got his first taste of head coaching acting on an interim level. In 2011, he was assistant coach of the Dolphins, but he assumed the interim head position following Miami’s dismissal of Tony Sparano in Week 14 of that season. Bowles went 2-1 in the final three games of the season, and the Dolphins fell short of a playoff spot. 

YearRecordResult20112-1Missed playoffsNew York Jets, 2015-2018After his brief interim stint with Miami, Bowles went to the Eagles and then the Cardinals. After two seasons in Arizona as the defensive coordinator, Bowles got the Jets head coach job. His first year was a strong one, as New York narrowly missed out on a playoff spot, going 10-6 with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm. 

Things went downhill after that. The following year was the season with Josh McCown and Bryce Petty at quarterback, posting a 5-11 record. In 2018, the Jets drafted Sam Darnold with the No. 3 pick in the draft, but he struggled in his first two seasons, posting records of 5-111 and 4-12. 

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The Jets fired Bowles after the 2018 season. The offense was never the team’s strength, but the defense was stellar when Bowles first took over. It slowly declined year after year, and with the offensive side of the ball still struggling, it made for a predictable decision when Bowles’ time came to an end. 

YearRecordResult201510-6Missed playoffs20165-11Missed playoffs20175-11Missed playoffs20184-12Missed playoffsTampa Bay Buccaneers, 2022-CurrentBowles did not have to wait long for employment. He was hired by the Buccaneers in 2019 to be the team’s defensive coordinator, reuniting with Bruce Arians after spending time together in Arizona. 

When Arians elected to shift to a consulting role following the 2021 season, Bowles was promoted to head coach, giving him his second crack at a head coaching gig. He had one year of Tom Brady before the legend retired (officially), losing in the wild-card round of the playoffs. 

In 2023, the Baker Mayfield era started, with the Buccaneers winning the division for the second consecutive year, and advancing to the divisional round in the postseason. 

YearRecordResult20228-9Lost in NFC wild-card Game20239-8Lost in NFC Divisional Game