Who is Jon Gruden?
Jon David Gruden is an American former football coach who was a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Gruden served as the Raiders’ head coach from 1988 to 2001 during their tenure in Oakland and rejoined the team in 2018. In between his service with the Raiders, he was also the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2002 to 2008.
He led them to their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVII. Gruden was the then-youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl, aged 39. He also served as an analyst for ESPN and Monday Night Football prior to returning to coaching. After returning to the Raiders, he led the team until his resignation during the 2021 season. This was after it was publicly revealed that he wrote and sent many racist, misogynistic, and homophobic emails between 2011 and 2018. In response, Tampa Bay removed him from the Buccaneers’ Ring of Honor.
College coaching
Gruden was employed as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Tennessee during the 1985-1986 season, after graduating from university. After working with the Volunteers, he spent two years after that as the quarterbacks’ coach at Southeast Missouri State. He then moved to the University of the Pacific in 1989 as an offensive assistant as the tight ends coach.
Walt Harris was the offensive coordinator at Tennessee, while Gruden was one of his graduate assistant coaches, and afterward, he hired him at Pacific. Gruden was a special assistant with the San Francisco 49ers under quarterbacks coach Mike Holmgren in 1990. Jon was the wide receivers coach for the University of Pittsburgh under head coach Paul Hackett in March 1991.
How old is Jon Gruden?
Jon David Gruden is 59 years old as of February 2023, having been born on August 17, 1963, in Sandusky, Ohio, U.S. He shares his birthday with celebrities such as; Robert De Niro, Lil Pump, Cody Orlove, The Kid Laroi, Leilani Green, Andrea Espada, and many more.
Who are Jon Gruden’s parents?
Jon David Gruden was born in Sandusky, Ohio, to Jim Gruden (Father) and Kathy Gruden (Mother) in a family of Slovene descent. His father served as a professional football regional scout, quarterbacks coach, and director of player personnel for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was raised as a Roman Catholic
Does Jon Gruden have siblings?
Gruden has two brothers, James and Jay. James Gruden is a radiologist at Well Cornell Medicine. His other brother, Jay Gruden played and coached in the Arena Football League for the Tampa Bay Storm and Orlando Predators. He was also most recently the head coach of the Washington Redskins.
Jon Gruden Education
Gruden received his high school education at Clay High School in South Bend, Indiana at age 15 and graduated in 1982. He then attended Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio, and transferred to the University of Dayton after one year. Gruden graduated with a degree in communications in 1986.
Jon Gruden Interests
In university, Gruden was a three-year letterman and backup quarterback for the Flyers under coach Mike Kelly. He did not play much although the team posted a 24-7 record during his three seasons at the University. He was once a Cleveland Browns fan and took rumba dance classes for a short while.
Jon Gruden Spouse
In 1985, Gruden first met Cindy Brooks while working as a graduate assistant and she was a student at the University of Tennessee. They married on July 6, 1991. His wife is an American philanthropist and former teacher at the National Cheerleader Association.
Jon Gruden Children
Gruden and his longtime partner and wife, Cindy have three children collectively. They have three sons, Jon II aka Deuce Gruden (born in 1994), Michael Gruden, and Jayson Gruden. Jon II is a strength and conditioning assistant for the Raiders.
Where does Jon Gruden reside?
Gruden and his happy family presently live in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jon Gruden Height
Adding up to his well-built body is a height of 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) and a weight of 91 kg (200 lbs).
Jon Gruden Career
Professional coaching
At age 28, Gruden was hired by Mike Holmgren, his former boss at the San Francisco 49ers in January 1992. He was hired to be the special offensive assistant/wide receivers coach with the Green Bay Packers. Gruden became the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles. Under former Packers assistant coach Ray Rhodes, after three seasons in Green Bay. He then was chosen by the owner and general manager of the Oakland Raiders, Al Davis, to be the Raiders’ new head coach for the 1998 season.
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders posted consecutive 8-8 seasons in 1998 and 1999. And leaped out of the last place in the AFC West, under Gruden. Gruden led the Raiders to the top of the AFC West and they made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 2000-2002. The team completed 12-4 in the 2000 season, the team’s most successful season in a decade, and its first division title since 1990. They finally reached the AFC Championship, and they lost, 16-3, to the eventual Super Bowl champions Baltimore Ravens.
The Raiders would return to the postseason in 2001, with a 10-6 record. But in the AFC Divisional Round a negated fumble proved costly as they beat, 16-13, in overtime by the eventual Super Bowl champions New England Patriots. Gruden acquired his nickname ”Chucky” from Raiders defensive lineman Grady Jackson because they thought he looked like the fictional character ”Chucky” in the 1988 slasher movie Child’s Play.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gruden took the place of Tony Dungy as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002, after compiling a win-loss record in four seasons with the Raiders. This was through a high-stakes trade that consisted of Tampa Bay’s 2002 and 2003 first-round draft picks, 2002 and 2004 second-round draft picks, and $8 million in cash. He then signed a five-year contract worth $17.5 million with the Buccaneers.
After arriving in Tampa Bay, he retooled the offense with the addition of numerous free agents. His determination to fix the underperforming offense helped the team to a 12-4 season. They won with a difference of 23 points per match and tied with the 1992 Dallas Cowboys for the highest average playoff margin of victory by a Super Bowl winner. The teams’ performance changed winning in the NFL Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles and also in a dominant win against the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. Gruden thanked Tony Dungy for his contributions upon receiving the Lombardi Trophy at the Super Bowl XXXVII postgame ceremony.
2003-2005
Gruden became the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl at age 39 after the victory. The team could not afford replacements the following season, leading to the team being decimated by injuries to various Super Bowl stars. They finished 7-9 in 2003 and 5-11 in 2004 becoming the first team to have consecutive losing seasons after winning the Super Bowl.
A specific low point during his time happened in a Monday Night Football home match against the Indianapolis Colts, led by Gruden’s predecessor Dungy. The Buccaneers led much of the game with a 35-14 lead near the end of the fourth quarter but were overcome by a Colts rally resulting in them losing 38-35. Gruden finally had the general manager-head coach partnership he wished for after former Raiders general manager Bruce Allen joined the Buccaneers in 2004. The salary cap continued to plague the team and their 2004 and 2005 drafts yielded a few impact players such as 2005 Offensive NFL Rookie of the Year Award winner Carnell ”Cadillac” Williams.
2006- 2007
In 2005 the Buccaneers returned to the playoffs after posting a surprising 11-5 record. This was in spite of losing the starting quarterback Brian Griese and some controversial coaching decisions. After winning with a two-point conversion in the final seconds against Washington Redskins, they returned to Tampa Bay and eliminated the Buccaneers from the wild-card round of the playoffs. Gruden led the Buccaneers to a dismal 4-12 season, the worst record as a head coach in 2006. The season was the first since 1991 that a Tampa Bay team had not won more than four games.
The team finally cleared itself of salary cup constraints in 2007. And united Jon with a mobile West Coast quarterback, formerly in Pro Bowler and Grey Cup winner Jeff Garcia. The team returned to the playoffs in 2007 with a 9-7 record, consisting of five divisional wins. Gruden was awarded a contract extension through the 2011 season in 2008. He earned his 100th career victory on November 30, against the New Orleans Saints.
Gruden Sacked
The Buccaneers were on pace to make the playoffs in December, have home-field advantage, and claim a bye week. However, they went winless that month because of a defensive collapse giving up an average of 30.75 points per game. They were eliminated on December 28 from making the playoffs by the Oakland Raiders, Gruden’s former team. The Buccaneers finished the season with four losses in a row. And Gruden was sacked by the team after seven seasons with them on January 16, 2009.
After Leaving Coaching
Gruden became a volunteer assistant offensive line coach at Carrollwood Day School in Tampa, Florida in May 2010. After leaving Tampa Bay, he formed the Fired Football Coaches Association. Having its headquarters in a rented office in a Tampa strip mall. The FFCA was recognized to have a tremendous amount of game and player film created by Gruden.
Numerous coaches including Urban Meyer, Chip Kelly, Sean McVay, Monte Kiffin, Jim Haslett, Greg Schiano, and Rick Venturi, and many players came to the facility. They all came to watch the film and talk with Gruden. He closed the organization after he returned to coaching in 2018. Gruden moved the game and player film together with the other information to Oakland.
Oakland/ Las Vegas Raiders
Gruden signed a $100 million, 10-year contract, which was one of the biggest contracts in the history of the league. The contract comprised a no-trade clause, closing the loophole that led to the Raiders trading him to the Buccaneers in return for draft picks and cash. Raiders owner Mark Davis attempted to lure Gruden back to be the Raiders six years before he returned to coach. He started off by signing several veterans and drafting Kolton Miller in the first round of the 2018 draft.
Gruden also traded away Khalil Mack for 2019 and 2020 first-round draft picks. Afterward, he traded Amari Cooper for the Dallas Cowboys’ first-round draft pick. In his first year back with the team, they would go 4-12. As a result of a strong rookie class showing, Gruden led the Raiders to a 6-4 record the next year. The Raiders ended their final season in Oakland 1-5 and 7-9 overall after many essential players suffered injuries.
During a week 2 game in the 2020 NFL season on September 22, 2020. He was fined US$100,000 by the NFL for not wearing a face mask properly. This was against the requirements for coaches during the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 5, 2020, he was fined US$150,000 for more COVID-19 protocol violations.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden recently apologized again to DeMaurice. He apologized for the racist remark he made about NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith in a 2011 email.
ESPN Career
Away from coaching, he was hired by ESPN in May 2009 to work as a color analyst on its Monday Night Football telecasts. He was hired to replace Tony Kornheiser and also served as an analyst for ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft and postseason college football games. Gruden assisted to call the 2010 Rose Bowl and 2010 BCS National Championship Game on ESPN Radio. And the 2011 Outback Bowl and 2011 Orange Bowl on ESPN. He became the focus of the collection Jon Gruden’s QB Camp, going over the NFL development process with prospective NFL Draftees at quarterback. He gave out a weekly award known as the ”Gruden Grinder” to the best player in the game that week.
Jon then signed an extension contract with ESPN, starting in September 2012. Thus prolonging his time with the company for five more years. Gruden and ESPN agreed to a contract extension by 2021 on December 15, 2014. However, it allowed an out in the event he wanted to return to coaching. Thus making him the highest-paid personality at ESPN. His last game for ESPN was the 2017 AFC Wild Card match between the Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs. This was after he decided to return to the coaching ranks with the Raiders for the 2018 NFL season.
Jon Gruden’s Salary and Net Worth
Professional football coach, Gruden is the current head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Jon has an accumulated net worth of $30 million. And has a salary of $10 million.
