Despite being out of the NFL currently, former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden frequently pops up in the news. Recently, his agent Bob LaMonte said that he’d be “surprised” if Gruden never coached again. He’s currently in the middle of a lawsuit with the NFL that won’t help his chances of coaching in the pros whether he wins or loses.
Gruden resigned during last season after a flurry of offensive emails were leaked to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Though the emails that were leaked were sent while he was not an employee of the NFL, it was not a good look for the coach. Gruden has stayed mostly quiet on the matter and hasn’t made media appearances since resigning. That changed when he appeared at the Little Rock Touchdown Club in Arkansas and spoke about the email scandal while asking for forgiveness.
“I’m ashamed about what has come about in these emails, and I’ll make no excuses for it,” Gruden said. “It’s shameful. But I am a good person. I believe that. I go to church. I’ve been married for 31 years. I’ve got three great boys. I still love football. I’ve made some mistakes. But I don’t think anybody in here hasn’t. And I just ask for forgiveness, and hopefully, I get another shot.”
Based on the comments from Gruden, it sounds like he hopes to be a coach once again.
Jon Gruden at the Little Rock Touchdown club commenting on the emails that ended his NFL coaching career.
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Gruden Is Likely Done in the NFL
If Gruden is going to want a future in coaching, it won’t be in the NFL. Not only is his name toxic right now, but he also had limited success during his return to the Raiders. His struggles even go back to his days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The coach hasn’t won more than 10 games since 2005. During his second stint with the Raiders, he went 22-31 and didn’t make the playoffs.
After a slew of bad decisions and poor seasons, no team in the NFL will want to touch him as a head coach. They also wouldn’t let him make personnel decisions. He’s still a good offensive mind but he’s not going to be an offensive coordinator. He’ll have to look elsewhere if he hopes to coach again.
Perhaps Gruden Could Succeed in College
Gruden is very much an old-school coach. That works for some coaches in the NFL but that style is getting fazed out. Teams like hiring young up-and-comers who aren’t so rigid. However, Gruden’s style could work in college. He’s a very passionate leader and his style could resonate better with young people.
Gruden hasn’t coached in the college ranks since the 1980s but it’d likely be an easy transition for him. If he went to a small school, he’d get much less attention than if he went back to the NFL. That would be a way for him to slowly build his brand back up. Perhaps he could eventually end up landing a job at a big school but getting back into the NFL will be a serious challenge.
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Jon Gruden Sounds off on Email Controversy in Rare Public Appearance