Buccaneers Head Coaching History

Head coach 01

John McKay

1976–1984

John McKay launched the Buccaneers in 1976 after winning four national championships at the University of Southern California. He guided Tampa Bay for nine seasons, taking an expansion team from its difficult beginning to the first great breakthrough in franchise history.

The 1979 Buccaneers won the NFC Central and their first playoff game, then reached the NFC Championship Game. McKay also took the team to the playoffs after the 1981 and 1982 seasons. His 133 regular-season games remain the most by a Buccaneers head coach through 2025.

Head coach 02

Leeman Bennett

1985–1986

Bennett succeeded McKay in 1985 and led the Buccaneers for two seasons. Tampa Bay finished 2–14 in both 1985 and 1986, and his tenure ended after the second season. His place in the archive marks the franchise’s first head-coaching transition.

Head coach 03

Ray Perkins

1987–1990

Perkins took charge in 1987 and coached Tampa Bay into the 1990 season. His tenure covered 60 regular-season games. He led the first 13 games of 1990 before Richard Williamson took over for the final three; that shared season belongs in both coaches’ histories.

Head coach 04

Richard Williamson

1990–1991

Williamson moved from assistant head coach and wide receivers coach to interim head coach late in 1990. He went 1–2 over that season’s final three games and remained head coach for 1991. His combined record covers 19 games across those two seasons.

Head coach 05

Sam Wyche

1992–1995

Wyche coached the Buccaneers from 1992 through 1995. John Lynch, Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks arrived during his tenure, becoming central figures in the defensive identity that developed under the coaching staffs that followed. His four seasons remain an important part of that rebuilding story.

Head coach 06

Tony Dungy

1996–2001

Dungy arrived in 1996 and helped turn Tampa Bay into a consistent contender. Working with defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, he established the defensive approach that became closely associated with the Tampa 2 and the Buccaneers’ resurgence.

The 1997 team ended a long postseason drought, and Dungy guided the Bucs to four playoff appearances in six seasons. His 54 regular-season wins and 1999 NFC Central championship helped build the foundation for the next chapter. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

Head coach 07

Jon Gruden

2002–2008

Gruden’s first Tampa Bay season ended with the franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy. The 2002 Buccaneers went 12–4, won the NFC South and completed a three-win postseason by defeating the Oakland Raiders 48–21 in Super Bowl XXXVII on January 26, 2003.

Across seven seasons, his teams won three division titles and reached the playoffs in 2002, 2005 and 2007. His 57 regular-season victories remain the most by a Buccaneers head coach through 2025.

Head coach 08

Raheem Morris

2009–2011

Morris led Tampa Bay for three seasons, beginning in 2009. His first victory came against Green Bay, and the following year brought a jump from 3–13 to 10–6. The 2010 Buccaneers narrowly missed the playoffs; his tenure concluded after the 2011 season.

Head coach 09

Greg Schiano

2012–2013

Schiano came to Tampa Bay from Rutgers in 2012 for his first NFL head-coaching role. The Buccaneers finished 7–9 in his first season and 4–12 in his second. He coached 32 regular-season games before his tenure ended after 2013.

Head coach 10

Lovie Smith

2014–2015

Smith returned to Tampa Bay as head coach in 2014 after previously serving on the Buccaneers’ coaching staff. His two seasons produced records of 2–14 and 6–10. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter succeeded him as head coach for the 2016 season.

Head coach 11

Dirk Koetter

2016–2018

Koetter was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach in January 2016. He led Tampa Bay for three complete seasons, starting with a 9–7 finish and ending after the 2018 season. His final Buccaneers head-coaching record is 19–29 across 48 games.

Head coach 12

Bruce Arians

2019–2021

Arians led the Buccaneers for the 2019–2021 seasons and delivered the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship. The 2020 team won three road playoff games before beating Kansas City 31–9 in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium on February 7, 2021.

The next season brought a 13–4 record and the NFC South title. Arians finished with a 31–18 regular-season record and a 5–1 postseason mark. In March 2022 he moved into an advisory role with the organization as Todd Bowles became head coach.

Head coach 13

Todd Bowles

2022–present

Bowles became Tampa Bay’s 13th head coach in 2022 after three seasons as defensive coordinator, including the Super Bowl LV championship season. He won the NFC South in each of his first three seasons as head coach and earned a playoff victory over Philadelphia following the 2023 season.

He is coaching his fifth season as Buccaneers head coach in 2026. The records below stop at the completed 2025 season: 35–33 in regular-season games and 1–3 in the playoffs. Visit the current coaching roster for the staff working alongside him this season.