The Oakland Raiders’ decision to part ways with Jack Del Rio as head coach Sunday was a bit of a head-scratcher.
Now, it’s becoming increasingly clear why the Silver and Black made the move.
During a “SportsCenter” appearance on ESPN following all of the NFL Week 17 action, Adam Schefter reported that the Raiders’ choice to move on from Del Rio was made in order to pave the way for Jon Gruden to become team’s next head coach.
Here’s Schefter’s full report:
Gruden last coached in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccanneers in 2008 and has served as a color analyst for “Monday Night Football” on ESPN since 2009. Gruden certainly has experience within the Raiders franchise, as he coached the team from 1998 to 2001 before beating them as the Bucs head coach in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Rumblings of Gruden returning to the sidelines have been lingering for quite some time, but judging by Schefter’s confident report, it seems as though these rumors soon will be coming to fruition.
