Former Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden is starting to get the itch coach once again. Gruden spoke with Carlos E. Medina of Ocala.com and admitted he wants to give coaching another shot:
“I haven’t lost a game in 3½ years,” he said. “But no, I would like to give coaching one more try.”
After being dealt to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by the Oakland Raiders in 2002, head coach Jon Gruden led the Bucs to a Super Bowl title over his former team and earned the reputation as one of the best coaches in the NFL as a result.
Unfortunately for Gruden, the success in Tampa Bay was short-lived in terms of being a legitimate Super Bowl title contenders and seven years after being traded by the Raiders he was let go by the Bucs.
Following a seven-year stint with the Bucs, Gruden was hired by ESPN to co-host Monday Night Football alongside Mike Tirico. Gruden has been successful during his time with ESPN and has been paid well as a result, but the one-time Super Bowl champion has been linked to vacant head coaching positions in the NFL over the past few years.
Although rumored to be interested in a number of the vacancies in the NFL over the years, Gruden has been reluctant to jump back into a leadership role on the sidelines. Many believe Gruden is simply waiting for the right opportunity to present itself with the right team.
Naturally, with the head coaching position in Oakland being a revolving door since he left in 2002, the rumors of Gruden considering the Raiders are very possible if Dennis Allen is fired at season’s end. Although the Raiders have shown progress this season, the team is still projected to miss the playoffs which may ultimately result in Allen’s dismissal.
It’ll be interesting to see if Gruden is back on the open market during the NFL off-season and if the Raiders are hiring him becomes a realistic possibility. (h/t RaidersNation)
