Bruce Arians

Bruce Arians, the Cardinals' coach, is admired by Todd Bowles. (AP Photo | Rick Scuteri)

PHOENIX -- One of the neater things about this year's NFL annual meeting for new Jets coach Todd Bowles is that he got to return to Arizona, where his performance as the Cardinals' defensive coordinator the past two seasons turned him into a highly sought-after head coaching candidate.

Bowles, a 51-year-old rookie head coach, spoke glowingly Tuesday about many of the coaches he has worked under in the NFL, since he got his first job in the league in 2000, as the Jets' defensive backs coach.

But there is one coach, Bruce Arians, whom Bowles said he loves so much that he would give up an appendage for him.

From a Jets perspective, Bowles said Bill Parcells "helped me see the overall game." Parcells, the former Jets and Giants coach, was the Cowboys' coach from 2003-06. Bowles was the Cowboys' secondary coach from 2005-07.

Bob Sutton, who would later become the Jets' defensive coordinator, was their linebackers coach in 2000, Bowles' only previous season with the organization.

"Bob Sutton was meticulous as ever," Bowles said. "We'd go over coverages about 5 o'clock in the morning every day back in 2000. I learned a lot from him there."

But Bowles has a special place in his heart for Arians, the Cardinals' 62-year-old head coach. Their relationship dates to the early 1980s. Arians was Temple's head coach from 1983-88. Bowles played at Temple before entering the NFL in 1986 as an undrafted safety.

Arians later served as the Browns' offensive coordinator, from 2001-03. Bowles coached the Browns' secondary from 2001-04. And then Arians hired Bowles as his defensive coordinator in 2013, when Arians got his first NFL head coaching job, in Arizona.

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"He kind of groomed me from a young man to a middle-aged man to now an older man, as far as seeing me grow," Bowles said. "He had, probably, almost every bit of seeing me during the things that I've learned, and letting me do the things that I did in Arizona. He had to do with that, almost everything. That guy, I can't say enough about him. I'd lose my left arm over him. He's such an outstanding person and outstanding coach. He coaches coaches. He challenges you to get better."

Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.