Jon Gruden Re-Ups With MNF, But Will He Leave Anyway To Coach?

by Glenn Davis | 5:51 pm, November 17th, 2009

» 4 comments

gruden Given that Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden could very easily end up as the next head coach of either the Washington Redskins and Notre Dame, it seems unlikely he’d need his Monday Night Football analyst spot for much longer. Recent reports, though, indicate he indeed signed a new, multi-year deal with ESPN to continue his nascent broadcasting career.

Gruden’s initial MNF hire won a stamp of approval from Deadspin founder/editor emeritus Will Leitch, but others weren’t so kind once he actually got in the booth. NBC’s ProFootballTalk (released before the news of his ESPN extension) offered mixed reviews of his announcing performance, but also concluded he loves the game too much not to get back to coaching soon enough:

As we concluded early in the year, the thing that makes him good on television — his passion for the game — will draw him back to it. Now that he’s apparently trying to position himself for a job, however, his over-the-top effusive praise has been at times even worse than the worst stuff we can recall from Joe Theismann a/k/a Joey Sunshine.

Which begs the question: will he really stay off the sidelines? He released a statement calling his MNF work “the most fun I’ve had in years,” but one look at the guy coaching calls into serious question whether he means it. Also remember money would not be an object for either Notre Dame or the Redskins (if you don’t remember, here’s what Weis got from Notre Dame less than a season into his tenure…and here are some reminders of what Redskins owner Dan Snyder is willing to spend).

On the other hand, maybe Gruden really is that happy at ESPN. Like the above-mentioned teams, the network doesn’t lack for funds, especially when it comes to one of its flagship broadcasts. But no matter how thrilled he is to call the games, as this rant against his MNF skills points out, Gruden is an almost frighteningly passionate man. No matter how much he loves what he does now, it’s hard to imagine him satisfied to be on the outside looking in for much longer.

ImNotBlue

Gruden is too “excitable” to go to a college (IMO). He’s a hardnosed, “do whatever it takes to win” type coach… so a more “family friendly” franchise won’t work either… he says, “Get your a$$ out on the field,” not “Come on folks, lets take a lap.” He needs a team with that type of mentality… like the Bears or the Raiders (not going there again, but that kind of a team). Unless a job at one of those kind of teams opens up, Gruden will stay at ESPN.
Glenn Davis

I’d expect him to go back to the NFL over college too. He just seems pretty entrenched in the pro game and happy to be that way. Of all the colleges he could go to, the Tennessee rumors from last year made the most sense (was a graduate assistant there, wife went there, big program), but he pretty much squashed that rumor, saying he loved the NFL too much, so I’ll take his word for it.

I think the Redskins have the mentality you’re talking about, though. They’ll spend whatever it takes…although he might want some control over personnel, and I’m not sure how much of that Dan Snyder would be willing to give him.
jimmymaher

That trio might have set a different standard that showed how misguided ABC/ESPN has been lately. ESPN is horrid now. I can’t watch it after the salad days of Kilborn, Olbermann, Patrick (who I hate), Roberts, etc. Bringing in Dennis Miller was dumb for MNF (and probably led to Miller having to join the Conservative bandwagon, because it hurt his career, tongue-in-cheek), and Kornheiser was annoying, whiny, and had no clue of football. Gruden might be the shot in the arm they need to revive MNF. I still think Tirico sucks, but one step at a time.
Vitamin C
DWHarper

Gruden should have held out for the NBC job with Al Michaels because Collinsworth has the charisma of a potato. Gruden could be the next John Madden because of his passion and his ability to make the viewer understand the game. Alas, I think, like others, that he will get into coaching again and it will definitely be at the pro level. I don’t see Gruden babysitting kids.