Jon Gruden hasn’t coached in the NFL since 2008, but it appears he has an itch to return to the sideline.
In an interview with Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report, Gruden revealed he’s been in contact with several NFL clubs and constantly is preparing to make his way back to the league.
“I’ve met with several people — I won’t deny that,” Gruden said. “People — just about every year I talk about coming back to coach. I’m not in here every day at 4:30 or 4 in the morning watching pinball. You know? I’m preparing myself to come back. I am. Every day. I’m preparing to come back.”
Gruden has a bevy of NFL experience, as he broke into the league as an offensive assistant with the San Francisco 49ers in 1990. He’s most known for his tenure as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, during which he led the franchise to its only Super Bowl championship in 2003.
But while Gruden knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level, he understands he can’t simply waltz back into the game.
“You can’t come back unless you are totally wired with college football, personnel, schemes, the CBA, how people are practicing, trends, you know. You’ve got stay on top of this stuff,” he said.
Gruden reportedly was a sought-after man this offseason. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers all were interested in bringing on Gruden for the 2017 season.
The 53-year-old has served as a color commentator for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” since 2009.
Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images
