Gruden?

[MBHORNSFAN]

Good X & O guy not sure he is a good head coach. Better suited to be a OC

 

[DizzG]

Great post POCKEY. The guy is a stud. Every year he's had multiple NFL teams come after him for a reason. He just hasnt left his MNF gig. He's been in high demand though per all the NFL insiders

Anyone that can go +.500 in the NFL for a career, win a super bowl and a conference championship, and even take Al Davis' franchise and turn it around into a winner can coach.

The guy is a real football coach, and an X's and O's guy unlike anyone UT has had in modern memory. Tireless worker. Demands excellence

I just cant imagine passing on the guy if he's legitimately interested for some of these people being mentioned

 

[Topstarr]

Gruden, I just do not know.....maybe the greatest hire of all time.

 

[3xhorndad]

I've posted this before but I'll post it again.
I worked a coupla Super Bowls with NFL Network and NFL Films. Each time the week prior I worked the Total Access Show week prior an was assigned the A Camera which meant I focused, locked down and then babysat t he camera for the balance of the week (Gameday, I flipped and went to NFL Films and worked the sideline handheld Camera.)

Anyway, it afforded me the opportunity to"float" and work with the producer to work the Green Room and escort the Talent. One day Gruden was set to guest on a segment. Gruden showed a full 30 minutes early and the prior segment was running long. I was in the Green Room and listening to Sterling Sharpe, Warren Sapp, Devonte Jones and three or four other NFL players and coaches sit around a shoot the $#@!. They were mostly talking about a where to eat, get a good drink, which parties they were going to etc etc. NOT talking about football.

Then Gruden walked in. He immediately assumed the room. He changed the topic to football and each person in the room kinda took turns attempting to change the subject back to Wine, Women and Song, but to no availe. Gruden was in his element and everyone was going to talk about football. Thing about Gruden was, he would engage everyone and get everyone's opinion. It wasn't just his show. After about 30-40 minutes I had to go back to the set. I worked a few problems and then Jennifer Love, the Director (yes, really her name and she is a fellow UT film school Grad!) told me to go tell John Gruden his segment would be delayed another 45 minutes.

I walked in the Gree Room and Gruden was STILL holding court and it was obvious everyone in the room had given up and given in to having this intense football discussion. I was floored. It was like watching a mad genius work the room.

It left a lasting impression on me. Gruden just eats, sleeps and breathes football. It's not an act for TV.

Before you call him an egotistical maniac, I heard him truely humble himself. He told a story how he designed a game plan to help mask an injury to Sapp when he coached him at the Raiders. He said Sapp told him that he could dominate the guy he was going up against in that particular game and Gruden didn't need to protect him. After the game, which they lost, Gruden admitted he watched Sapp absolutely destroy the O-Line yet he never questioned Gruden game plan which Gruden admitted was wrong. Gruden said when he went to Tampa he knew he would bring Sapp with him because despite his public perception, Sapp was a real team guy and a unique talent.

Gruden has shown he is media savvy and I KNOW he's as good as it gets with Xs and Os. I believe he would assemble one of if not the best staffs in the college ranks. The only questions are if he'll enjoy recruiting and dealing with the BMDs.

He is my number one and has been since we lost to Bama, period.

Great post Pockey. Really enjoyed your story. I like Gruden as well. He can communicate, and coaching is communicating. He would kill it at Texas

Keep posting

 

[MBHORNSFAN]

We will be talking about Gruden on the Orange report tonight. My co-host Matt Hates Gruden so this should be real good..

 

[POCKEY]

The second part of that story is the night I had going from Super Bowl Party to Super Bowl Party. We.....

Ooops. Never Mind. What happens at Super Bowl Parties has to stay at Super Bowl Parties.

I will say this, Cuba Gooding Jr based his character in Jerry McGuire on Sterling Sharpe and I can attest, he nailed him. Sterling is one of the great characters I've met. I was honored to be his designated driver.

 

[1stand5]

This is what we need for sure. He would change the culture.

 

[BevoBlake]

 

[Turby35]

The second part of that story is the night I had going from Super Bowl Party to Super Bowl Party. We.....
Ooops. Never Mind. What happens at Super Bowl Parties has to stay at Super Bowl Parties.

I will say this, Cuba Gooding Jr based his character in Jerry McGuire on Sterling Sharpe and I can attest, he nailed him. Sterling is one of the great characters I've met. I was honored to be his designated driver.

Ha. No doubt he would kill it here. The kids he recruited would be in awe when he walked into their living rooms. He has a hell of a knack for finding talent as well. I would love to see it happen. I agree with, I think it was Dizz, that he would assemble the best staff in the college ranks.

 

[LongviewLobo01]

There isn't a better X's and O's candidate out there than Jon Gruden IMO. He would need to surround himself with strong recruiting assistants but I don't think that would be very difficult. If he's in play we need to find out and see what it'll take. Why wait on the other names until the middle of January when we could have him now?

 

[alonghorn72]

Would love to see dueling visors in Dallas!!

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Before you call him an egotistical maniac, I heard him truely humble himself. He told a story how he designed a game plan to help mask an injury to Sapp when he coached him at the Raiders. He said Sapp told him that he could dominate the guy he was going up against in that particular game and Gruden didn't need to protect him. After the game, which they lost, Gruden admitted he watched Sapp absolutely destroy the O-Line yet he never questioned Gruden game plan which Gruden admitted was wrong. Gruden said when he went to Tampa he knew he would bring Sapp with him because despite his public perception, Sapp was a real team guy and a unique talent.

Sapp won a Super Bowl with Gruden in Tampa before he closed out his career in Oakland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Sapp

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

There isn't a better X's and O's candidate out there than Jon Gruden IMO. He would need to surround himself with strong recruiting assistants but I don't think that would be very difficult. If he's in play we need to find out and see what it'll take. Why wait on the other names until the middle of January when we could have him now?

I wouldn't break the bank for a coach who hasn't worked CFB in years. If we can get him for a reasonable salary (< $5M), it may be a surprisingly good move. Build in plenty of incentives if he's winning championships.

 

[joebobb]

Whenever there is a high profile job, Gruden is linked to it and there is always a rumor that he is for sure coming because of X, Y and Z, and of course that never happens, he comes out a few days later and expresses he is content in the TV booth and that is it.

It happened with ND at least 2 times (because he always dreamed of coaching there and had family in South bend)

I remember hearing how he was for sure going to take Tennessee last year because he has a house in the area

South Florida because he lives in Tampa was a rumor at one time.

He was rumored for Ohio State in 2001 before Tressel because of course he played college ball in Ohio.

I think there was a few other schools in that mix too.

Whenever I hear a Gruden rumor I just laugh because they always seem to never lead anywhere.

 

[Longhornleghorn]

Joebobb - As much as I would love Gruden, I feel the same way. He is notorious for "kicking the tires" on every big job that opens. Maybe the Texas job will be different, but I'm not optimistic.

 

[beevomav]

Where is the like button?

 

[hooksem]

NO!
In eleven years in the NFL his overall winning record was%, and only three times did he exceed a 60% win percentage.

Look where he coached though! He didn't exactly coach for juggernauts!

 

[ATX89]

There's a reason Gruden hasn't had a coaching job since 2008 and it isn't because he's an awesome coach that is picking his spot while working at ESPN. He has no college experience except for a year or two at Cal as an asst. He frankly doesn't fit Patterson's criteria

 

[seahawkhorn]

There's a reason Gruden hasn't had a coaching job since 2008 and it isn't because he's an awesome coach that is picking his spot while working at ESPN. He has no college experience except for a year or two at Cal as an asst. He frankly doesn't fit Patterson's criteria

Gruden could have been coaching in the NFL in 2009, if he had wanted to.

 

[Pancho Negro]

I've always liked this guy as a hire. I think he'd go nuts on stoops in the RRS.