Jon Gruden has set the rumor mill ablaze after boldly stating he wants to coach in the SEC.
The former Las Vegas Raiders head coach hasn’t been on a sideline since 2021, when leaked emails containing offensive remarks led to his resignation. He’s currently locked in litigation with the NFL over the fallout from that scandal.
Even so, Gruden isn’t hiding his desire for a comeback.
“The only reason I really came here is I want to coach again,” Gruden told the Georgia football team. “I’m being honest with you, I do not bulls***, either. I want to coach again. I’d die to coach in the SEC. I would love it. I would f---ing love it.”
But just how realistic is that? ESPN’s Pete Thamel doesn’t see the 61-year-old landing one of college football’s premier jobs.
“My hunch on Gruden is that… I think Jon Gruden could land somewhere amid [lower-tier programs], so I would not project him to go to the SEC,” Thamel said on The Pat McAfee Show. “There are just better college coaches available… The hiring process for Gruden, who is amid ongoing litigation, could add some complexities to that.”
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Still, others have thrown out potential fits. ESPN’s Peter Burns floated Virginia Tech as a possibility in 2026, while The Athletic’s Joe Rexrode said the path might lead back to where “Grumors” first began — Tennessee.
Rexrode speculated that LSU, Arkansas, or even Oklahoma could have openings down the line, which could lead to Vols head coach Josh Heupel leaving for the Sooners. That would open the Tennessee job, a place with deep ties for Gruden. He was a graduate assistant for the Vols from 1986-87, and his wife is a Tennessee alum.
Tennessee fans have long been enamored with the idea of hiring Gruden, but Heupel’s success has made that unlikely — at least for now. He’s 37-15 at UT, delivered the school’s first College Football Playoff appearance last season, and restored national relevance to the program.
Plus, the potential drama of Heupel returning to Oklahoma, where he was fired as offensive coordinator in 2015, probably makes his chances of leaving for Norman unlikely.
One thing’s for sure: Jon Gruden is making it clear he wants back in the game — and he wouldn’t mind starting that comeback in the SEC.