With the Oakland Raiders looking for a new coach, eyes are beginning to turn towards Jon Gruden. Since his name comes up nearly every single time an NFL team (especially the Raiders) needs a coach, Gruden has prepared a response, which was published on the NFL website.
“Well, I appreciate those seven or eight bloggers, I have seven or eight friends that are bloggers and use different screen names and they bring my name up every year when there’s a coaching job,” He said on ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike. “I’d like to thank those anonymous bloggers, I appreciate it. I’m just trying to hang onto my job to be honest with you guys. It’s four weeks into the season; some of these teams haven’t even played three games yet, so I’m not even thinking about coaching.”
In other words, thanks but no thanks internet; I’m happy where I am.
Jon Gruden’s Popularity Says A Lot About the NFL’s Coaching Searches
http://t.co/4egYhfio1g pic.twitter.com/04JdrWnwf3
— RantSports (@RantSports) October 1, 2014
However, several people are not happy about where Gruden is. Apparently this includes reporters who keep hounding Raider’s owner Mark Davis.”(Gruden) may reach out to me,” Davis said according to WXII-12. “I may reach out to him. I may reach out to anybody. That’s the future, and I’m not going to talk about future coaches.”
So it looks like interim coach Tony Sparano is here to stay for the time being.
The Oakland Raiders have named Tony Sparano as the team’s interim head coach. http://t.co/2T1TN0Eh21 pic.twitter.com/fe0btakoq3
— OAKLAND RAIDERS (@RAIDERS) September 30, 2014
“I’m excited about the experience he brings,” General Manager Reggie McKenzie said of Sparano according to CBS. “Of the leadership he brings and the passion he brings to get this organization to do what we need to do and that’s win.”