The Head Coach of The Buccaneers, Todd Bowles, Kept His Promise to His Mother & Obtain College Degree
The Head Coach of The Buccaneers, Todd Bowles, Kept His Promise to His Mother & Obtain College Degree
Todd Bowels speaks at Mount St. Mary's University Graduation
For Todd Bowles, a promise finally came true after almost 40 years.
To satisfy a 37-year pledge to his mother, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach skipped Saturday’s rookie minicamp to graduate from Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland. He finished his coursework for a bachelor’s degree in youth and community development in September.
When he joined the NFL, Todd Bowles promised his mother he would finish his degree, and today he did just that.
In 2009, Joan Bowles’ mother passed away from cancer. Anthony Agnone, his longtime agent and a Mount St. Mary’s graduate, arranged for his return in 2020, when he was serving as the defensive coordinator and later head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Bowles graduated from Temple University in 1986 and entered the NFL, where he played for eight seasons before quitting and switching to coaching.
After receiving the degree, Bowles spoke with reporters and did not keep the occasion’s significance to himself.
“It’s personal. It’s not a limelight type of deal for me. It’s more or less honoring my mother and making sure I keep a promise that I can live with when she says something. And that’s really all it was for me, and showing my kids at the same time, with one in college, one getting ready to go to college, and another one on the horizon, hopefully they get some inspiration from this, and that can help them as they go forward.”
Todd Bowels
The 59-year-old Bowles, who previously spent four seasons as the head coach of the New York Jets and served as an interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins, is entering his second season as head coach of the Buccaneers after leading them to an 8-9 record in Tom Brady’s final season on the field.
