Born.... October 3, 1952 in Paterson, New Jersey
High School / College..... William Penn York. PA / Virginia Tech.
Playing Career..... Quarterback - 1971-1974 Virginia Tech.
Buccaneers Career..... 2019-Present Head Coach 13-11 .542 Win% (TBD)
Career Record..... College: 6 Years, 27-39-0 (overall), 27-39-0 (conference)
Career Record..... Professional: 2012-Present Head Coach 71-44 .616 Win% (Buccaneers)
Koetter is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2013 to 2017, and also served as offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts. He also coached at the college level, serving as head coach at Temple and as an assistant at Mississippi State and Alabama. Arians is known for his trademark slogan "No risk-it, no biscuit," which encourages aggressive play and risk-taking.
A native of Paterson, New Jersey, Arians graduated from William Penn High School in York, Pennsylvania. He previously attended York Catholic High School, where he was a standout scholastic quarterback.
Arians attended and played college football at Virginia Tech. As a senior in 1974, Arians was the starting quarterback in a wishbone offense for the Hokies football team. That season, he completed 53 of 118 passing attempts (44.9% completion pct.) for 952 yards with three passing touchdowns and seven interceptions. He rushed for 243 yards and eight touchdowns. Arians held the Virginia Tech school record for most QB rushing touchdowns in a season with 11. The record has since been broken by Jerod Evans, in 2016. He was also the first white player to share a dorm room with a black player in VT history. His roommate was James Barber, father of Ronde and Tiki Barber..
Arians began his coaching career in 1975 as a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech. He was forced to resign after the death of 18 year old Bob Vorhies, who suffered a heat stroke while doing punishment drills. Arians then held an assistant coaching position at Mississippi State University (running backs and wide receivers) from 1978–80 before heading to the University of Alabama to coach the running backs from 1981–82 under Paul "Bear" Bryant.
Arians was also the head coach at Temple University from 1983–88. While head coach for the Owls, he compiled a 27-39 overall record over six seasons. All six of Temple's wins during the 1986 season were later forfeited; running back Paul Palmer, who was the runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1986, had signed with a sports agent before the season, making Palmer ineligible. Besides Palmer, other standout players Arians coached at Temple included cornerback Kevin Ross, safety Todd Bowles, offensive guard John Rienstra, and running back Todd McNair. Ross, Bowles, and McNair would all later serve as NFL assistant coaches with or under Arians.
After coaching at Temple, Arians held positions with Mississippi State (offensive coordinator, 1993–95) and Alabama (offensive coordinator, 1997) in between NFL assistant coaching jobs.
At the end of the college football season in 1988, Arians was hired in the NFL as a running backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. It was during this time with the Chiefs that he worked with the coach who brought him to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bill Cowher. He also spent one season as the tight ends coach of the New Orleans Saints in 1996.
Following this stint was when he made a name for himself when he got the job as the quarterbacks coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. He was the first quarterback coach of Peyton Manning when he arrived in the NFL. Afterward, he was hired as offensive coordinator (2001–2003) for the Cleveland Browns under Butch Davis. In 2002, he helped the Browns finish 9–7 (2nd in the newly aligned AFC North) and to a wild card playoff berth where they lost to the Steelers (36–33) in the first round. It was during his tenure with the Browns that he first worked with Chuck Pagano who served as the Browns secondary coach from 2001 to 2004.
Arians' coaching philosophy can be summed up with one phrase: “No risk it no biscuit, You can’t live scared.” His former quarterback in Arizona, Carson Palmer, says, “You play for him, you see he just has guts. He will let it rip let it fly no matter what.” He first developed this philosophy when the old timers at the bar he worked at in college told him, "In life you must take risks." During games he will always give the quarterback at least two options based on how the defense lines up. "One option will give us a chance to make a first down and the other option will give us a chance to score a touchdown." All his quarterbacks must believe, “If I have the right match up and the opportunity is there to take a shot at the deep ball, take it. I don’t care if it’s a third and-and-three; if our best receiver is in single coverage and he’s running a deep post route, throw him the goddamn ball.”
One thing Arians cannot stand is when coaches play not to lose. He considers conservative coaching to be a cardinal sin. In his book, he writes, “That’s not my way brother. I’ll never be too afraid to throw it and take the heat if it’s incomplete. My job as an offensive coach is not to allow our defense to retake the field. Run out the clock and kneel down-that’s my job.”
Arians has as an image of what the perfect NFL QB looks like. In his book he wrote “It’s something you cannot see. He must have- a big lion’s heart, a heart that beats for an entire franchise." Arians says heart is exhibited when a quarterback plays through pain, when he smashes into a 320-pound defensive linemen on third down to gain six extra inches for the first down. Or when he throws a pick and runs forty yards down field to make a tackle. What he calls “grit” is a must have ability to make the dozens of decisions that need to be made in the twenty five seconds the quarterback walks on the line of scrimmage and scans the defense to when the play is over.
On the practice field Arians is known to spend most of the time with his quarterbacks reviewing what transpires during the three to four seconds of a basic pass play. He believes the first thing the quarterback has to understand is his protection, because the defense can always blitz one more guy than your linemen can block. Because of this the quarterback has to look and read what will coming from the opposing defense.
A primary reason Arians is known as a quarterback whisperer is the special relationship he has had with all of his quarterbacks as well as the production he has gotten out of them. "My quarterbacks have to be a member of my family, and that has nothing to do with football," he says. "Trust is everything. We have to connect on a deep level in order to really be able to build something together. Trust brings a higher level of communication and a higher level of commitment and accountability. We have to care for one another. It's all about family, family, family." While being a caring coach, Arians is also known to be a hard coach on his quarterbacks. When Peyton Manning had a bad game the first time he faced the Patriots his rookie year—he threw three interceptions midway through the fourth quarter of the game—he was so frustrated he begged Arians, who at the time was the team's quarterback coach, to be pulled. Arians responded by saying "F--k no. Get back in there. We'll go no-huddle, and maybe you'll learn something." While Arians has this hard style of coaching, his former quarterbacks have always had the utmost respect for him and attribute him as a big factor in their success.
Arians is known to socialize with players more than most NFL coaches. After Cardinals home games he is known to pull his car up. The trunk will be open and he will be handing out drinks to his players. He writes "If a player had a bad game, I'm going to give him a beer and big sincere hug. If a player had a great game, I'm going to give him a beer and a big sincere hug."
After the 2003 season, Arians was hired as the Steelers wide receivers coach, and in 2007 was promoted to offensive coordinator. He then went on to win Super Bowl XLIII. Despite his success in Pittsburgh, he had his fair share of critics. He was a gambling man who liked to take big risks, risks that didn't sit well with fans. For instance, on a 3rd & 1, instead of running the ball or making a short quick pass, he wanted to air it out downfield. According to Arians, “I got booed in the Super Bowl parade. I look over and I hear 'get a full back,' and I say never.” In Arians' offense the quarterback is often exposed: Ben Rothlisberger took a high number of sacks every year and it left the Steelers front office unhappy. This led the front office to not renew Arians contract as an offensive coordinator.[8] a position he held until his contract expired after the 2011 season.
On January 28, 2012, Arians agreed to become the offensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts, replacing Clyde Christensen. On October 1, 2012, Arians was named the interim head coach of the Colts following coach Chuck Pagano's leukemia diagnosis. Arians led the Colts to a 9–3 record, part of one of the biggest one-season turnarounds in NFL history. The nine wins are the most by an interim head coach in NFL history. After winning only two games in 2011, the Colts returned to the playoffs. Pagano returned to the Colts as head coach on December 24, 2012, with Arians returning to his role as offensive coordinator. Arians missed the Colts wild-card game loss against the Baltimore Ravens due to being hospitalized with an illness, which was described by doctors as an inner ear infection or a virus; Arians had missed practice on January 3 due to the flu. Arians was named the 2012 AP Coach of the Year, making him the first interim head coach to win the award.
On January 17, 2013, the Arizona Cardinals and Arians agreed on a 4-year deal that would make Arians their new head coach.[18] In the 2013 NFL draft Arians took a chance on troubled LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, who had been kicked off the LSU football team as well as arrested for drug possession prior to the draft. Arians was the first Cardinals head coach since Norm Barry in 1925 to record at least nine wins in his first season, with a record of 10-6 for 2013.
The Cardinals finished the 2014 season with an 11–5 record and were the #5 seed in the NFC. The 11 wins tied a Cardinals franchise record for most wins in a season. Arians led the Cardinals to a 9–1 start, best in the NFL, but injuries to starting quarterback Carson Palmer (who was 6–0 as the starter) and backup Drew Stanton, (who was 5–3 as starter) led to the Seattle Seahawks claiming the divisional title with a 12–4 record. Roughly half the team was put on injured reserve between week 8 and week 17. The injury plagued Cardinals were eliminated by the Carolina Panthers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, 27–16. Following the season, Arians was named AP Head Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons.
On February 23, 2015, the Cardinals announced a new four-year deal with Arians which would keep him with the Cardinals through the 2018 season. After starting 3–0 for a second consecutive season, in 2015, Arians led the Cardinals to a franchise record in season wins, ending the season with a 13–3 record. The Cardinals defeated the Green Bay Packers 26-20 in overtime in the Divisional round of the playoffs, Arians' first playoff win as a head coach. The next Sunday, in the NFC Championship, the Cardinals were defeated again by the Carolina Panthers, this time in a 49–15 blowout.
In the 2016 season, Arians led the Cardinals to a record of 7–8–1.
After the 2017 season, where he led the Cardinals to an 8–8 record, Arians announced his retirement from coaching after five seasons with the Cardinals.
On January 8, 2019, Arians agreed to terms on a 4-year contract to come out of retirement and became the 12th head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Arians stated in the offseason for the Buccaneers that he could win now with the team he had. He also put his faith in Jameis Winston, saying "I think with (quarterbacks coach) Clyde Christensen and (offensive coordinator) Byron Leftwich, he's in great hands."
Arians assembled the largest coaching staff in the NFL for the 2019 NFL season, at a total of 28 assistants. Arians made it known one of his intentions was fixing the defensive secondary. In the 2019 season the Buccaneers surrendered a league worst passer rating (110.9), yards per attempt (8.2) and completion percentage (72.5). In his first season with the team, Arians led the Buccaneers to a 7–9 record, finishing 3rd in the NFC South.
In Arians' second season with the team, the Buccaneers signed former New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, to a two-year contract on March 20, 2020 and traded for former Patriots tight end, Rob Gronkowski, on April 21, 2020, who came out of retirement to play for the Buccaneers with Brady. In 2020, Arians led the Buccaneers to a 11–5 record, earning a Wild Card spot - their first playoff berth since 2007. After winning three straight road games against the Washington Football Team, New Orleans Saints, and Green Bay Packers, the Buccaneers reached their second Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl LV. The playoff victories were the Buccaneers' first since the 2002 season when they won Super Bowl XXXVII, and Arians is the first head coach to lead an NFL team to play and win a Super Bowl in their home stadium when they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31–9 in Super Bowl LV.
Arians and his wife Christine run a charity called The Arians Family Foundation, which supports and develops programs to prevent and remedy the abuse and neglect of children. The Arians Family Foundation supports the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program.
A lifelong advocate for racial inclusion and against discrimination, Arians commented on the killing of George Floyd and the ensuing protests: "It's very disheartening personally, you would hope that we would not be in 2020 still dealing with these issues. You would hope as a nation to have grown since 1968. I think we have, but not enough, obviously."
Arians is a prostate cancer survivor. He and his wife Christine have a son, Jake (born January 26, 1978), who spent part of the 2001 season as the placekicker for the Buffalo Bills, and a daughter, Kristi Anne (born December 15, 1980).
| Temple "Owls" - 1983-1988 (NCAA Division I-A independent) | |||||||
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/Playoffs | Coaches# | AP |
| 1983 | Temple | 4-7 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1984 | Temple | 6-5 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1985 | Temple | 4-7 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1986 | Temple | 6-5* | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1987 | Temple | 3-8 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1988 | Temple | 4-7 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Temple TOTAL | 27-39 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| * 1986 team had to vacate wins due to the presence of an ineligible player on their roster. | |||||||
| NFL COACHING STATISTICS | |||||||
| Year | Team | Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | |
| 2012 | Colts | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 2nd in AFC South | |
| Colts TOTAL | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | |||
| 2013 | Cardinals | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3rd in NFC West | |
| 2014 | Cardinals | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 2nd in NFC West | |
| 2015 | Cardinals | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in NFC West | |
| 2016 | Cardinals | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 2nd in NFC West | |
| 2017 | Cardinals | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in NFC West | |
| Cardinals TOTAL | 49 | 30 | 1 | .614 | |||
| PRE-BUCS | 58 | 33 | 0 | Two Playoffs | |||
|
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| Buccaneers | 2019 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3rd in NFC South | - | - | - | - |
| Buccaneers | 2020 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 2nd in NFC South | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl LV Champions |
| Buccaneers | 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | REPETE! | 0 | 0 | 0 | Repete Goals |
| BUCCANEERS TOTAL | 18 | 14 | 0 | .563 | 0 | 5 | 2 | .714 | 0 | |
| NFL TOTAL | 76 | 47 | 1 | .617 | - | 5 | 2 | .714 | 0 | |
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