Jon Gruden Drops Unexpected Hint About Returning to College Football—Could a Major Shakeup Be Coming?

Jon “Chucky” Gruden’s itch to get back in the coaching saddle isn’t just a passing fancy – it’s a full-blown passion play. Years after his controversial exit from the Las Vegas Raiders, the former Super Bowl-winning coach isn’t just reminiscing; he’s scheming. And guess where his heart’s set? The SEC – college football’s fiercest arena. Picture this: Gruden pacing the sidelines at Georgia, trading barbs with Kirby Smart, dreaming up plays that could topple titans between the hedges. It’s a tantalizing thought, isn’t it? Can a man once burned by NFL controversies find redemption beneath the bright lights of college ball? With NFL legends like Belichick already making their college coaching moves and Gruden’s own football roots running deep, his comeback story could be something special — or a cautionary tale waiting to unfold. Ready to dive deeper into Gruden’s quest to climb back up the coaching ladder? LEARN MORE.

Chucky wants to coach again.

Coaches Who Left The NFL To Coach College (1:37)

Several years removed from his unceremonious firing from the Las Vegas Raiders, Jon Gruden has made one thing clear: he wants to coach again.

The former Super Bowl champ has made his rounds at various training camps and schools in his time spent away from the game. And after some brief flirtation with the idea of coaching in college football, the soon to be 62-year-old recently admitted that he’d love to eventually try his hand in the SEC.

“The only reason I really came here is because I want to coach again,” Gruden told the Georgia Bulldogs on a recent visit to Athens. “I’m being honest with you. I do not bulls—t either. I’d die to coach in the SEC. I would love it. I would f—ing love it.”

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

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“I sit there and I fantasize — I’m fantasizing on the [practice] field,” he added. “I said, ‘Man, I wish I was coaching against the SEC.’ I want to come to Georgia, between the hedges. I’m fantasizing about going up against Kirby Smart. I’m an offensive coach you see. I’m over there fantasizing about coming down here and beating Georgia in the hedges.”

“That’s what I’m fantasizing about. Because whether you like it or not, you’re the f—ing measuring stick that I base my whole career on as a coach,” the ex-Bucs/Raiders HC concluded.

There was once a time when Gruden appeared really close to taking a job at Tennessee during his run on “Monday Night Football,” but ultimately he decided against it.

Since then Jon has talked about potentially being a grad assistant with the Vols as a way to get back on the sideline.

Gruden was dismissed from the Raiders after he was found to have used homophobic, misogynistic and racially insensitive language over the course of seven years of email conversations with former Washington EVP and GM Bruce Allen. He’s since apologized for his actions and attempted to rehab his image as a contributor for Barstool Sports.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 10: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Las Vegas Raiders walks on the field before a game against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bears defeated the Raiders 20-9. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Getty Images.

With coaches like Bill Belichick electing to go the college route, it isn’t too much of a stretch to envision Jon wearing a headset for an SEC program.

His father, Jim, was a running backs coach at the University of Notre Dame and he seems to have a passion for football at all levels.