According to Brando Marcello of CBS Sports, former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden revealed his interest in going back to the sidelines on Wednesday. However, this time, he could do it as a college football coach.
In a recent interview, Gruden stated, “Yeah, I’m interested in coaching.” “When I first met my wife, she was a cheerleader at Tennessee; my dad was a college coach, and I was a college coach at Pitt. Yes, please, I would want to coach. That is all I can promise: I know I can employ quality personnel, I know I can help a club succeed, and I know I can assist young players develop. However, I would really love to coach at any level.
Gruden abruptly left the Raiders in 2021, badly damaging his reputation, following the discovery of hacked emails that contained disrespectful and inflammatory remarks. With the exception of a recent visit to the Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp, the former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has kept a low profile ever since.
Athletic directors are sure to be intrigued by the idea of Gruden perhaps entering the collegiate football scene. Would he, however, actually take a chance on a collegiate position this time? Gruden has been connected to a number of significant college football openings throughout the years. In 2008 and 2012, he was supposedly considered for the head coaching position at the Tennessee Volunteers, and in 2010, there was a brief speculation that he was a contender for the Miami Hurricanes. But none of these rumors turned into real coaching positions.
Now that Gruden has made it apparent that he wants to resume coaching, it begs the issue of which college teams would be willing to give the 61-year-old a shot. Let’s investigate a couple colleges that could be interested in hiring him.
Let the rumors start.
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are among the most needy Power 4 clubs in need of a new head coach right now. Billy Napier is the most under fire of all the FBS coaches. Napier, who is in his third season, has struggled, finishing with a 12-16 record. Last weekend, the Gators lost to Texas A&M 33-20, another humiliating setback.
Florida football really needs to make an impression with their new head coach after failing to impress with their last four coaching appointments. With his well-known brand and plenty of NFL expertise, Jon Gruden is undoubtedly a tempting choice. His connection to Florida stemming from his Super Bowl victory with the Buccaneers would also provide some familiarity. But there are a lot of unknowns with any program that takes Gruden into account.
First, is the question of whether he has moved on in the game. In his sixties, Gruden has never had a head coaching position in a collegiate setting. Furthermore, the controversies surrounding his Raiders departure in the wake of the email scandal may complicate Florida’s—or any school’s—PR efforts with any prospective hire. Even though Gruden has a lot of name value, any program considering hiring him should carefully consider the dangers.
Arkansas Razorbacks
After a poor 4-8 season in 2023, which came after a 7-6 year and a promising 9-4 year prior, Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman was able to retain his position. The Razorbacks, who are now 2-1 and have only lost once—in a barnburner against Oklahoma State—are attempting to find some stability in the challenging SEC.
One of the top positions in the SEC has never been the Arkansas position. The program doesn’t have the same appeal as some of its more successful conference peers, having only made three trips to the SEC Championship game and failing to win any league titles. On the other hand, Jon Gruden may alter that story.
Given his name alone, Gruden would definitely raise awareness of Fayetteville, much like Deion Sanders has done at Colorado. Sanders and Gruden may not have the same personalities or coaching philosophies, but Gruden’s NFL background may draw elite players to Arkansas. Whether Gruden could effectively entice top recruits to Fayetteville—a place not usually associated with attracting high-profile prospects—is the real question.
South Florida Bulls
There is presently no head coach shortage at the University of South Florida (USF), since Alex Golesh has improved significantly throughout his brief time with the Bulls. Golesh’s influence has been evident as the squad is currently 9-7 overall and 2-1 this season, especially in light of the team’s performance against Alabama, when they stayed up with the Crimson Tide for a significant portion of the contest.
South Florida had been having trouble before to Golesh’s arrival; they had only won once in the whole 2022 season and had not finished with a winning record in four years. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Power 4 teams try to entice him away in the near future if the Bulls continue to progress this season, since his rapid turnaround of the program is already garnering notice.
In that case, Jon Gruden’s name may surface as a compelling candidate for South Florida football’s open coaching position. A unique twist to the tale would be Gruden’s return to the same city and stadium where he and the Buccaneers won a Super Bowl. It would be a full circle moment, with Gruden perhaps bringing his career and a program back to life.
Why Jon Gruden would be a perfect college football coach in 2024
The present state of the sport is what makes Jon Gruden’s stated desire to take on the role of head coach at a college more fascinating. Teams participating in the playoffs will be playing far into late January thanks to the increased 12-team College Football Playoff, which is a major change from previous years. Schools often try to fill coaching positions as soon as possible to give incoming coaches time to build their staff and lock down recruiting classes. Since head coaches and assistant coaches from playoff-bound teams will be occupied throughout their team’s postseason run, the new playoff system poses a problem for programs interested in hiring these coaches.
Gruden has a clear edge over other candidates for head coach at colleges since he is not currently bound by any coaching obligations. He is a more appealing choice in a crowded coaching market as any program hoping to get a coach right away may bring him on board without having to worry about playoff commitments. Gruden may become a significant contender for schools looking for a high-profile appointment and a speedy turnaround because to this advantage.
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