Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday he doesn’t see race when asked about competing against another black head coach.
NFL reporters peppered Bowles with questions ahead of the Buccaneers‘ Week 6 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Two reporters asked Bowles about going head-to-head against one of the other four black head coaches, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. (RELATED: Troy Aikman Apologizes For Asking Men To Play Real Football Again)
“I have a very good relationship with Tomlin. We don’t look at what color we are when we coach against each other; we just know each other,” Bowles said.
“I have a lot of very good white friends that coach in this league as well, and I don’t think it’s a big deal as far as us coaching against each other, I think it’s normal. Wilks got an opportunity to do a good job, hopefully he does it. And we coach ball, we don’t look at color,” Bowles added.
Bowles was then asked about representation in the league and what it means for minorities who are aspiring coaches.
“Well, when you say, ‘They see you guys,’ and ‘look like them and grew up like them,’ it means that we’re oddballs to begin with. I think the minute you guys stop making a big deal about it, everybody else will as well,” Bowles said.
Todd Bowles on coaching against Mike Tomlin this Sunday: “I don’t think it’s a big deal…we don’t look at color.”
Bowles on representation in coaching: “I think the minute you guys stop making a big deal about it, everybody else will as well.”
*Questions included for context pic.twitter.com/JtehXqqKcW
— David Schiele WTSP (@Deacon_Schiele) October 12, 2022
Bowles, Tomlin, Steve Wilks of the Carolina Panthers and Lovie Smith of the Houston Texans are currently the only black coaches in the league.