Jon Gruden OUT as Raiders Coach After New Report Reveals Homophobic and Misogynistic Comments
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Jon Gruden has resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following revelations he made homophobic and misogynistic comments in emails obtained by The New York Times.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported on Monday night that Gruden is no longer the coach
Jon Gruden spoke with #Raiders owner Mark Davis a short time ago to inform Davis of his decision. It’s official. Gruden is out in Las Vegas. https://t.co/zkzkVryyfe
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 12, 2021
Gruden was five games into his eighth season with the Raiders franchise. It was his second stint with the team. In 2018, he signed an unprecedented 10-year, $100 million contract despite not having coached in an NFL game since 2008. He led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory in the 2002 season.
Gruden issued a statement late Monday night saying he resigned.
Statement from Jon Gruden:
“I have resigned as Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 12, 2021
Last Friday, the Wall Street Journal released a 2011 email from Gruden that made a racist comment to describe NFL Players Association director DeMaurice Smith. “Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michellin tires,” Gruden wrote. He was a broadcaster for ESPN Monday Night Football.
The new reporting from the Times says, “In the emails, Gruden called the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, a ‘faggot’ and a ‘clueless anti football pussy’ and said that Goodell should not have pressured Jeff Fisher, then the coach of the Rams, to draft ‘queers,’ a reference to Michael Sam, a gay player chosen by the team in 2014.”
