Is Jon Gruden’s Next Move in the SEC Already Set in Stone?

Jon Gruden hasn’t stood on a college sideline in almost 35 years, and yet here we are, wondering if the former Super Bowl-winning coach might just make a triumphant return to the SEC. Known for his uncanny ability to coax magic from quarterbacks like Rich Gannon and Derek Carr, Gruden’s public declaration—“I’d die to coach in the SEC…I would f—king love it”—has set the college football world ablaze. It begs the question: Could the seasoned “QB whisperer” be the shake-up that middling programs like Arkansas desperately need? With Sam Pittman’s tenure teetering on the edge after years of middling results, maybe it’s time to ask—what’s the harm in a little Gruden gamble? Even if his arrival isn’t the flashy upgrade everyone craves, would it really be much of a downgrade? The SEC arms race waits for no one, and sometimes a little disruption might be just what the Razorbacks ordered. LEARN MORE.

Ranking The Alternate Uniforms For Every SEC Football Team (1:25)

It’s been nearly four years since his last NFL coaching job and nearly 35 years since his last college coaching job. But former Super Bowl champion Jon Gruden seems eager to be a head coach again.

Gruden’s reputation as a QB whisperer is pretty hard to match. He got some of the best years ever out of quarterbacks like Rich Gannon, Brad Johnson and Derek Carr, just to name a few. So if the NFL won’t come calling again, maybe the college ranks will.

In a recent video, Gruden spoke about how much he would love to coach again – particularly in the SEC. That immediately got fans’ minds swirling.

“I’d die to coach in the SEC…I would f—king love it”

Coming this fall – Grumors: The NIL edition pic.twitter.com/STqyUxJJgg

— zach ragan (@zachTNT) August 9, 2025

There are a number of SEC teams that could probably do with a change. Whether or not Gruden would be an upgrade remains to be seen.

But the consensus at least online at the moment appears to be that he’d be an ideal fit for the middling Arkansas Razorbacks:

“I could see him at Arkansas or Oklahoma,” one user remarked.

“Learn Woo Pig buddy,” another declared, sharing an image of Gruden in an Arkansas outfit.

“Yo, @RazorbackFB. Make the damn call,” a third wrote.

“You’re an Arkansas buddy.”

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Your next Arkansas Razorbacks Head Coach…”

ALAMEDA, CA – JANUARY 09: Oakland Raiders new head coach Jon Gruden speaks during a news conference at Oakland Raiders headquarters on January 9, 2018 in Alameda, California. Jon Gruden has returned to the Oakland Raiders after leaving the team in 2001. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Incumbent

Sam Pittman is heading into his sixth year at Arkansas and the results have been nothing short of below-average. His teams are 30-31 overall and just 14-28 in the SEC. He has one top-25 finish, which was all the way back in 2021.

It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if 2025 wound up being Pittman’s final year in Fayetteville either. Barring about eight or nine wins in the regular season, the school just might decide that they want an upgrade. The SEC is just too much of an arms race for any team to tread water for this long.

Even if you see Jon Gruden as a downgrade from Pittman, it doesn’t seem like he would be that much of a downgrade.