Jon Gruden Wants To Coach And Arkansas Should Give Him A Call: OutKick Hot Mic
Most football fans agree that coach Jon Gruden deserves another shot at coaching, at any level, after the NFL canceled him due to a leaked email scandal. Well, Gruden, 61, isn't letting his dream of coaching escape and says he's truly open for business.
Jon Gruden wants to return to coaching and is open to coaching a college team. Will a college team hire Gruden? (Credit: Getty Images)
This week, Gruden commented that he's looking for a job to coach again, which only inspires infinite possibilities on where he'll end up as a Super Bowl-winning leader.
"Hopefully I’m not done," Gruden said on the prospects of becoming a coach again (via The Detroit Free Press).
"I’m about to make a comeback. I’m working hard to maybe get one more shot, but hopefully some of these guys that fell off my branch, if you say it that way, maybe they can hire me cause I’m looking for a job."
On October 11, 2021, Gruden stepped down as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders (during his second stint as HC) following a leak of private emails revealed in an NFL investigation. The messages, spanning years, contained remarks from Gruden considered racist, homophobic and misogynistic by figures in the league and certainly the sports media.
Jon Gruden wants to coach again; should Arkansas give him a call? (Getty Images)
The scandal sparked enough public outcry to force Gruden's resignation and even led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to strike Gruden from the franchise's Ring of Honor. The Bucs realized their mistake and reinstated Gruden in Feb. 2025.
On Tuesday's OutKick Hot Mic with Hutton and Withrow, the possibility of Gruden going to the college game was brought up as Chad Withrow suggested Arkansas could work as Gruden's next destination as coach.
"Sam Pittman is 63 years old," Withrow said. "He is two years older than John Gruden, which is crazy when you think about what Gruden has done in his career, in both coaching and broadcasting.
"Pittman is on the hot seat. If Arkansas fires Sam Pitman after a subpar year, I'm picking up the phone and hiring Jon Gruden immediately to call the damn Hogs. You got John Calipari and Jon Gruden on the same campus? Hutton, I would absolutely make that happen if I was a program like an Arkansas."
WATCH:
Jon Gruden To Arkansas? | Hot Mic w/ Hutton and Withrow
Will Gruden join the SEC?
Will Chucky's comeback plan run through college football?
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela