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Expect Jon Gruden to be all in as Oakland Raiders’ coach

Bill Williamson by Bill Williamson
January 7, 2018
in Raiders
10
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A month after he won the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, over his old and now new team, the Oakland Raiders, Jon Gruden was asked what it was like to climb the game’s highest mountain.

Gruden – who is always aware he is on stage – admitted that after winning it all, the urge to go soft seeps in. The truly hilarious Gruden joked about wanting to take the Lombardi Trophy and go “float down the river” while drinking beer and listening to Jimmy Buffet.

Yet, Gruden then noted that the competitive juices will never go away.

Gruden is now returning to the sideline nine years after being fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’d had his full of floating down the river. Someone close to Gruden told me in 2015, the last time Raiders’ owner Mark Davis made a run at him, this about Gruden: “You know the saying, ‘Living the dream?’ Well, Jon truly is living the dream. He doesn’t work much. He makes a ton of money and he golfs and goes to the beach all the time. Why would he come back?”

Now, after agreeing to a 10-year, $100 million contract with the Raiders, Gruden is back.

But don’t worry, don’t expect him to be soft or floating down any rivers anytime soon.

He will be all in. Gruden is too passionate and too intense to come back just because. He is returning because he is ready.

Yes, there will be questions whether he can handle the rigors of the game after a nine-year layoff. And there is no doubt that is along time away from the sidelines and the pressure cooker of a being a head coach. And no coach in sports will have more pressure than the $100 Million Man.

But Gruden can handle it. He’s been preparing for this. He has been studying tape more than just preparing for his broadcasting gig. Gruden doesn’t need this challenge. He wants this challenge.

The truth is, Gruden could not make another dollar for the rest of his life and his kid’s kids would be set for life. Gruden is coming back to coaching because he loves it and he wants it.

Gruden has too much pride to come back to the Raiders just for a change of pace. He is coming back to excel, to teach, to win. The Raiders’ labeled their story of Gruden officially coming back as ‘unfinished business.”

That’s what this is. This is a publicity stunt. This is business.

Jon Gruden is back and expect him to be fully committed to winning as a Raider.

That starts Tuesday at noon at his press conference. I fully expect Gruden to be his passionate self during the coronation dressed as a presser. Gruden will be in full Chucky mode. He will snarl, he will grunt, and he be everything that Jon Gruden the NFL head coach is.

Then, he will leave, pop in game film work until 11 p.m. Then. He will set his alarm for 3:17 a.m. and do it all over again.

 

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Tags: Jon Gruden
Bill Williamson

Bill Williamson

Bill Williamson has been a professional sports journalist for 28 years. He has covered the NFL for 22 straight years. He has been covering the Oakland Raiders for the past nine years, including seven at ESPN.com.

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Comments 10

  1. thankaveteran says:
    3 years ago

    Does he really have to set the alarm. My guess is he just gets up goes without it.

    I hope he does understand we want and expect him to win multiple SBs.

    Even those who think it is a mistake to bring him back want him to do that. Even if they wont admit it.

    Reply
    • Jose Torres says:
      3 years ago

      True, I hope he brings many SBs, but I’m not sold on bringing him back or why fans love him so much. It was Callahan and Trestman that grew the offense in a manner that Gruden can only dream. I would rather see Callahan get another shot (at least he’s still actively coaching). Regardless of Callahan’s “dumbest team” demise, there is no Raider fan alive that wouldn’t want that peak-year offensive production back.

      Reply
      • thankaveteran says:
        3 years ago

        And hopefully Gruden has expanded his learning and playbook so he can have that huge production too.

        And Gruden was able to do what Dungy could not with the bucs too. Sometimes change can lead to great things. That is what I am hoping for with the returning Gruden.

        Reply
      • Bull2152 says:
        3 years ago

        It was Grudens offense that Callahan used when the Raiders went to the Super Bowl,, That has been admitted several times. Callahan claimed to make minor adjustments to the offense when he took over but he didn’t , that’s why Trestmen was still the OC under Callahan.
        Gruden knew the plays being called during the Super Bowl and was telling the defense what to watch for that’s why he killed us in that Super Bowl.
        If you think for one second Callahan was smart enough to get the Raiders to the Super Bowl using his own play calling, just go look at what Callahan did at Nebraska when he had to coach on his own.

        Reply
  2. Lloyd Denton says:
    3 years ago

    I’m glad you finally started spelling Chucky with a “y” instead of “ie.” It was killing me.

    Reply
    • Bill Williamson says:
      3 years ago

      I’m a slow study. Never happen again.

      Reply
  3. Michael Van Elgort says:
    3 years ago

    A few missing words? “Not” a publicity stunt? He “will” be everything… proof reader needed

    Reply
  4. Truthman says:
    3 years ago

    Michael Van Elgort,

    Actually, Bill Williamson’s comment that hiring Gruden is a “publicity stunt” is the most accurate and relevant thing he has written here at the Snakepit.

    Reply
    • Michael Van Elgort says:
      3 years ago

      That’s your opinion, however, in the context of the article, calling it a publicity stunt directly contradicts the basic premise.

      Reply
      • Truthman says:
        3 years ago

        Michael Van Elgort,
        I recognized that , but chose to credit the author for at least one accurate and relevant comment (even if it did contradict the theme of his article).

        Reply

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