Jon Gruden Would "Die To Coach In The SEC," So Let's Rank Some Landing Spots

It's no secret Jon Gruden wants to make a return to coaching, but what is a relatively recent development is where and how badly he wants to make his return.

You read that right, folks!

The former Super Bowl-winning coach is hungry for a shot in college football, namely the SEC.

Who could blame him, either?

The SEC and Big Ten are battling it out for college football's top conference in the country, and since Gruden has reached the heights of the NFL, it would make sense he would want to conquer college as well.

But where would make the most sense for the man they once called Chucky?

I'm glad you asked, hypothetical reader!

Here are just a few programs that would make a ton of sense to employ the former Buccaneers and Raiders coach.

Arkansas Razorbacks

My coworker Alejandro wrote about this last week, but Gruden to Arkansas makes a ton of sense for a number of reasons.

For one, Sam Pittman's seat is reaching nuclear levels of heat in Fayetteville.

He may have staved off the vultures for another year by making a bowl, but the 63-year-old Hogs head coach is one more mediocre season away from getting the axe.

We also have to factor in how easy it would be to rebuild the roster once Gruden gets to Arkansas.

With NIL money from Tyson Foods Chairman John H. Tyson flowing in, Gruden would be handed the keys to a very ready-made operation.

Florida Gators

Coach Billy Napier's seat may not be as hot as Pittman's, but many forget that he was all but fired after dropping two of his first three contests to start 2024.

This Gators roster is universally agreed to be a playoff roster, so the expectations are sky-high in 2025.

If the Napier experiment fails in Gainesville, exasperated fans will be pressuring the athletic department to go big game hunting after a string of underwhelming hires.

They don't get much bigger than Jon Gruden.

Hiring a guy like Gruden could be just the splash needed to get the heat off of AD Scott Stricklin's back for his lack of success in football.

Whether Gruden could succeed at Florida is a different story, but the man can win a press conference like no other, so he would be a popular hire at least at the start of things.

Tennessee Volunteers

I am not sure if Josh Heupel's job is in jeopardy at the moment, but the SEC is a "what have you done for me lately" league, and I am sure fans aren't happy about the beatdown in Columbus to end the season, nor are they too pleased with the way the Nico Iamaleava saga went down.

Gruden's ties to Tennessee are well documented, as he is pretty much a top candidate for the Vols every time things go south for the current head coach in Knoxville.

If transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar fails to live up to expectations in east Tennessee, there could be a good old-fashioned coaching search underway.

And we all know Vols fans have been known to voice their displeasure when the administration picks a candidate they disagree with.

I believe fans would be quite pleased to see the Gruden announcement come across their X timeline.

LSU Tigers

Shocked? You shouldn't be.

To me, this is the best job in college football when being completely unbiased, and Gruden would be a fool to turn this one down.

The resources are there. The boosters are hungry for another championship. And the recruiting grounds are fertile and loyal to the flagship university of the state.

"But, Austin," I hear you say, "Brian Kelly isn't leaving anytime soon."

You underestimate how rabid these LSU fans are, dear reader.

Winning nine games and going to the Texas Bowl every year may fly for some programs, but not LSU.

If the Tigers fail to make some noise in the playoffs with this roster, Kelly is as good as gone.

And guess who will be there to pick up the pieces?

This one makes the most sense to me of the potential jobs I mentioned, both in terms of fit and how realistic the scenario is.