It’s hard to argue at this point in the 2013 NFL season that the Oakland Raiders aren’t a much improved teams in many different areas. Even though it’ll be difficult for this team led by up-and-coming quarterback Terrelle Pryor to make the playoffs this season, Oakland has shown signs of life and there seems to be hope for the future for the storied NFL franchise.
With the Raiders on the verge of potentially turning it around after a decade of disappointment, a familiar face and extremely popular icon might be heading back to Oakland.
Earlier in the season, former Raiders head coach and current ESPN NFL analyst, Jon Gruden, expressed a desire to give coaching in the NFL another shot. Of course, with Gruden considering a return, the fans in Oakland got excited and potentially for a very good reason.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Gruden will want to coach one of two teams:
Should former Super Bowl winning coach Jon Gruden end up leaving the broadcast booth and returning to coaching, his most likely destinations would be Oakland or Atlanta, according to league sources, should those jobs open up. The Raiders made a serious approach to Gruden last year, according to sources, and owner Mark Davis remains highly enamored of him, and is still evaluating coach Dennis Allen and general manager Reggie McKenzie.
Obviously, Dennis Allen is currently the head coach in Oakland and has exceeded expectations thus far this season. With that being said, the team may be leaning toward having Allen return, but it’d be safe to say that stance will stance if Gruden puts himself back on the market during NFL off-season.
So although there’s a lot of football left to be played this season and the evaluation of Allen in Oakland is ongoing, Gruden returning to the Raiders is a likely scenario. Mark Davis and the avid Raiders fan base is still very fond former head coach. A
reunion may very well be in the works if Allen is deemed expendable at season’s end.
