Getty Bucs head coach Bruce Arians wears his mic pack on his chest for health reasons.
Bruce Arians has a unique look with a contraption strapped around his chest, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach has a health reason for wearing the mic battery on his torso. During a November 2020 interview on The Rich Eisen Show, Arians was asked why he is wearing the
box around his chest.
“That’s just the normal belt, and I have to wear that so tight that it sticks a nerve in my leg,” Arians explained. “So, I started wearing it over my shoulder, and I haven’t had a problem with the nerve down my leg during the games. …Yeah, one of our doctors said, ‘You know, that belt’s so tight that can cause that problem. It’s like the superficial nerves like you got shingles burning down your leg the whole time of the game.’ So I was like, let me throw it over my shoulder and see if it works. It’s a helluva lot more comfortable.”
Arians admitted he has received a lot of questions about why he is wearing the belt over his shoulder. The Bucs coach joked that it is a “fashion statement” he is trying to pull off during games.
“It’s a fashion statement…It’s more slimming,” Arians said while laughing. “It’s more slimming, Rich.”
Arians Is a 3-Time Cancer Survivor
Arians has had health challenges including being a three-time cancer survivor. Despite the potential health risks, the Bucs coach declined to opt-out of the season given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It is a decision Arians is pleased he made given the Bucs’ Super Bowl run.
“It’s amazing, absolutely amazing,” Arians noted, per USA Today. “This is the most rewarding year I’ve had in coaching, probably, because of the pandemic and what we’ve had to deal with. Watching this team grow and get better and better and jell for the playoffs, it’s been a fantastic year and I’m very, very thankful.”
Arians Retired After the 2017 Season
The then-Cardinals head coach already retired once after the 2017 season as he focused on his health at the urging of his wife. Arians worked as a broadcaster in 2018 before coming out of retirement in 2019 to take the Buccaneers’ opening. The Bucs coach noted he would not have taken the gig if he was unable to have his current group of assistants.
“Everything lined up perfectly, from ownership, to general manager, who is a great friend, to all of my assistants being available,” Arians recalled, via USA Today. “Frankly, I probably wouldn’t have taken the job had some of those assistants not been available.”
Arians admitted to gaining a little weight during quarantine time over the offseason. The Bucs coach lost 25 pounds during the 2020 season as he continues to keep a close eye on his health.
“I’ve lost 25 pounds during this season that I gained this summer from COVID, so it’s been a good year so far,” Arians noted in December 2020, via Tampa Bay Times. “This last 10 (pounds) are going to be harder, but I feel great personally. And the COVID thing is go to work, go home, go to work, go home. There’s not much to life right now other than football.”
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