While Black coaches were hired in various capacities in 2021, only the Texans’ David Culley was given a head coaching position. Despite seven head coaching vacancies, many of these qualified men were blatantly ignored in the process. This includes Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator, Byron Leftwich.
Despite running one of the best offenses in the league and leading them to Super Bowl LV, not one team requested an interview with Leftwich.
That has Bucs’ head coach, Bruce Arians, incensed.
“I was very, very pissed Byron at least didn’t get an interview this year,” Arians said earlier this week. “For the job that he’s done, I get way too much credit and so does Tom Brady. I think next year people will see he took Jameis Winston, who broke every single record here for scoring and passing…and now Tom has broken both.”
Leftwich has been the team’s OC for the past two seasons. It’s obvious that he knows what he’s doing as both Winston and now Brady have set new team records. Under Leftwich’s leadership in 2019, Tampa Bay was first in the league in passing offense (302.8 ypg) and third in total offense (397.9 ypg). This year, with Tom Brady, the Bucs were second in passing offense (289.1 ypg) and third in scoring (30.8 ppg). That means that he’s helmed one of the top offenses in the league during his two years in his position.
Yet that obviously means nothing to NFL teams.
He still gets looked over for his head coach and starting quarterback when it comes to credit. And despite being a pass-happy league, one where teams are scrambling to find so-called “offensive geniuses”, Leftwich’s accomplishments are for naught. This did not slip past Arians, who has put together, arguably, the most diverse coaching staff in the league.
“He’s done a fantastic job. He’s everything, supposedly, what people are looking for, although this year was kind of a defensive cycle,” said Arians. “You never know how the owners are going to go. I’m very, very proud of our staff.”
If the Bucs light it up on Super Bowl LV on Sunday, will credit finally be given to Byron Leftwich, or will the spotlight once again shift to Arians and Brady? We’ll just have to wait and see.
And like every other Black coach qualified to be a head coach, Leftwich will be waiting and seeing if his phone rings next year.
