Linebacker Larry Foote was a key piece of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense in the 2000s, helping them win two Super Bowls. While he retired following the 2014 season, he’s still been in the NFL, only as a coach. He’s currently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their run game coordinator and outside linebackers coach. Bruce Arians was asked whether he thinks Foote will eventually become an NFL head coach, and his answer showed nothing but confidence in the former linebacker.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt,” Arians said recently on Pewter Report’s YouTube channel. “Larry’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever coached. He was a linebacker for me in Arizona after Pittsburgh, and I hired him full-time as a linebacker coach the next year.
“He didn’t need any training; he was already coaching the guys on the field all the time anyway. Bright, bright guy… If you go back up to Pittsburgh and see that Super Bowl team, there’s not anybody more respected than Larry Foote. I think [Foote’s] on the right path to be a head coach.”
Foote had two separate stints playing with the Steelers, first from 2002-2008 and then from 2010-2013. Arians was a coach on the Steelers’ staff from 2004-2011. Then, after Arians became the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach, he signed Foote for a single season. Not only did Arians hire Foote as a coach right after the linebacker retired, but he also brought him onto his staff when he became the Bucs’ head coach.
Therefore, the two of them have had a close relationship for quite some time, and Arians clearly holds Foote in high regard. He was very successful as an NFL head coach, including winning a Super Bowl with the Bucs. It says a lot that he’s so confident in Foote’s potential as a coach.
Foote is still early on in his coaching journey, but he could rise up the ranks quickly. He interviewed for the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator vacancy last year. While he was passed up for that job, it says a lot that he was considered for the position.
Foote has worn a lot of hats in his young coaching career, too. He coached outside linebackers when he first got to Tampa Bay. Then, he was made the pass game coordinator and inside linebackers coach for a few years. Last year, he was moved back to coaching outside linebackers and earned the run game coordinator title.
He had a fine year, too. Specifically, Foote helped young edge rusher YaYa Diaby bounce back after a sophomore slump. The Bucs didn’t have a ton of talent at outside linebacker, but they added more this offseason, drafting Rueben Bain Jr. in the first round.
If Foote helps him become an impactful player, perhaps he’ll get more looks when defensive coordinator positions open up. Then, becoming a head coach could be within his sights. It might take some time, but Foote could work his way up in the coaching world.
