When you got hired here, it seemed people were coming out of the woodwork to congratulate you. Former players, current players, you've spun an incredible web.

It's funny because Ronde Barber, and Tiki, their dad was one of my roommates. I got to know a lot of the guys, Sapp and those guys, through television and things that they were doing. It's just building respect levels. When players respect you, especially the older ones, the young ones follow.

[Bruce, then the Hokies' quarterback, roomed with James Barber, their running back, while they played at Virginia Tech together. At the time, they were the first black and white players to room together on the team.]

Bring that to your current staff and after sitting down with your coordinators, all of you are even more connected than I ever knew. How does this staff compare to the one you had in Arizona?

It's very similar. Keith [Armstrong] was under contract but Amos [Jones], my special teams coordinator in Arizona was up. So, this time, Amos was under contract, Keith wasn't and the Amos wasn't under contract, so I got both. It's always finding those young guys because Goodie [Harold Goodwin] and I have been together 16 years, Byron [Leftwich] since he started coaching, Todd [Bowles], obviously way back. All the Temple guys: Clyde [Christiansen], I think his first job was at Temple in '83. Nick [Rapone] played with me and coached with me at Temple. There's an instant chemistry with those guys.

I look for young, bright guys, too. Kevin Garver, who was with me the whole time in Arizona but a good friend of mine recommended him. He started entry level and shot right up the board fast. I really can't wait to get Antwaan Randle El in here and his energy that he brings. Larry Foote was a player and I instantly made him a coach because I just knew how good of a coach he would be. Cody Grimm's dad and I are close and I've always been a big fan of Cody. His dad and I worked together, plus he's a Hokie so [laughs]. Now, John Van Dam is a young guy I've heard so many great things about and I just want to see him take off. El take off. Cody take off. One of these guys is going to be a head coach soon. That's part of my job. Have the next guy ready and keep pushing them.

You push them and your players in a very effective way. It seems like you walk this tough love line of being able to break down the player without breaking down the man.

When we're talking about football, we're talking about your football. So I'll talk real ugly about your football but I'm not talking to you personally. Don't take it as criticism, take it as coaching. I love you as a guy but your football really sucks. If it's not perfect, it's going to get coached. Not criticized - coached. Some guys really have a tough time with that. They all learn differently, they all express different ways of communication. We're just glorified school teachers, so you have to learn how to teach.

I think that's a little lost at this level. The teaching and developing doesn't stop once they get out of college.

No, as a coach it doesn't matter how much sh-t ya know. If you can't teach it, it's not any good! You can put it on the blackboard, the blackboards don't play, you know? You have to be able to teach it.

What have you seen from the players here so far?

A talented roster. There are some spots where we need to sign our free agents. I've never walked into a team with as many skill players as we have here; quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends, wide receivers, we're loaded. We need to work up front. Defensively, we have speed. Whether we're 4-3, 3-4 – that's schematics. We've got players and we'll put them in position to be successful. I would like to build this defense back to what it was when the Bucs won the Super Bowl.

I think that will be music to Bucs fans' ears… but excuse me if I'm a little confused. You're an offensive guy…

Yeah, but you have to have a quarterback and you have to have a defense. We have those. We're just going to make the defense even better. I think we're fine offensively. We'll score points. I want to stress this year a lot on defense and special teams. Special teams is really where I think we're lacking, big bodies that can run – 4-3 teams have always had that problem. When you have four linebackers on the field at a time, you have more of them on your team, so you're a faster team.

Well, you know I talked to your coordinators last week. I think one of the funniest things came from Coach Bowles when I asked him the difference between you as a head coach now and you as a head coach when you were coaching him at Temple. His answer? You cussed more.

[Belly laughs], oh back then I would be arrested if I coached now like I coached those guys. Back then, it was needed, though. We may not have been as talented as those other teams, but we were more physical. I promise you that [he said with a smirk].

Sounds like it couldn't have been that bad if you have all these guys from that team still with you after all these years.