Todd Bowles’ next job was suddenly not a foregone conclusion on Wednesday.

Underlining how respected Bowles is around the league, the former Jets coach was quickly pursued by the Bears after their defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was named the Broncos head coach. However, Bowles decided to stick with the Buccaneers and their new coach Bruce Arians after contract details were worked out, ESPN.com reported.

Speaking on the Rich Eisen show on Wednesday, Arians reportedly spoke about Bowles being on his staff as a done deal.

“[Bowles] thought hard about it,” Arians said. “I was doing my best sell job and this happened. We’re really excited to be back together.”

Bowles excelled as Arians’ defensive coordinator in Arizona, and there is belief he can succeed in that role again. There’s a connection with Bears coach Matt Nagy as well, as Nagy’s father coached Bowles in high school. Bowles passed on the opportunity to coach the NFL’s defense, instead opting for a rebuilding Tampa Bay squad.

It gives Bowles an opportunity to coach his way back to head coaching contention with another successful stint after totaling a 24-40 record in four seasons with the Jets.