Jon Gruden

Rams Focusing On Jon Gruden

December 19th, 2016 at 8:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former NFL head coach and current ESPN commentator Jon Gruden has become the “focal point” of the Rams’ head coaching search, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, and the two sides are progressing towards a meeting. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported yesterday that Gruden would “entertain” the idea of taking the reins in Los Angeles.

While Gruden may be open to the Rams’ position, his interest in the franchise wouldn’t stop at coaching — he’d also require full control of personnel, according to Robinson, and won’t even consider a meeting with the club unless he’s granted that power. Los Angeles is open to offering roster management to certain head coaching candidates (Gruden among them), which jibes with recent reports about incumbent general manager Les Snead‘s status. Snead’s fate is seemingly in the balance at the moment, as ownership could be willing to allow a new coach to hire his own executive.

Meanwhile, Gruden would check off several requirements for owner Stan Kroenke, including the fact that the club is searching for an offensive-minded head coach. Second, as Robinson writes, the Rams are intent on selling hundreds of millions in personal seat licences before their new stadium in Inglewood opens, and hiring a coach with the panache of Gruden could help in those business pitches.

For Gruden, the allure of Los Angeles is compounded by the presence of quarterback Jared Goff, whom Gruden has lauded in the past. “He does believe in him – that’s not just for TV,” a source close to Gruden told Robinson. “He thinks [Goff] has the stuff to be a franchise quarterback. I don’t know if Jon would have traded the farm to get him, but he sees him as a guy that was worthy of building a team around him. He sees leadership and star power there.”

If Gruden can’t be had, Stanford head coach David Shaw and Saints head coach Sean Payton could be among the contenders for the Rams’ job, per Robinson. While Payton recently signed an extension that’s set to keep him in New Orleans through 2020, a report yesterday indicated that the organization could be willing to part with him in exchange for draft picks. Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Sunday that the Los Angeles job could attract candidates — such as Payton — who are already under contract with other clubs.

Latest On Jon Gruden, Rams Coaching Vacancy

December 18th, 2016 at 3:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Though he’s been out of the NFL since 2008, Jon Gruden could “entertain” the notion of accepting the Rams’ head coaching position, some of Gruden’s former colleagues told Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

Several factors could influence Gruden’s willingness to listen to a pitch from the Rams, not least of which is the Los Angeles market and the pocketbook of owner Stan Kroenke, who is likely open to paying Gruden whatever he demands. Additionally, the Rams have talented players on both sides of the ball in the forms of running back Todd Gurley and defensive tackle Aaron Donald, as well as a young quarterback in Jared Goff, whom Gruden has expressed fondness for in the past.

Gruden also has a relationship with Rams COO Kevin Demoff, who was hired to Tampa Bay’s front office when Gruden was the Buccaneers’ head coach, according to Tom Peliserro of USA Today. That familiarity could help lure Gruden to Los Angeles, as could the fact that the Rams don’t intend to make a decision on general manager Les Snead until a new coach is hired, per Peliserro. If Gruden wants to bring in his own personnel executive, he’d likely be allowed to do so.

Gruden, who is still only 52 years old, signed an extension with ESPN in 2014 that keeps him under contract through the 2021 season. However, that deal shouldn’t preclude from exploring NFL opportunities.

10 Coaching Candidates For The Rams

December 13th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

In an iconic scene from season nine of The Simpsons, Krusty the Klown announced his retirement to a scrum of not-so-stunned reporters.

“But Krusty,” one reporter asks. “Why now? Why not twenty years ago?”

It wouldn’t have been out of place for any Rams beat reporter to channel that sentiment and ask a similar question of COO Kevin Demoff when he addressed the media on Monday. Jeff Fisher‘s dismissal was long overdue and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone outside of the coach’s family who disagrees.

For now, the Rams will turn things over to special teams coordinator John Fassel on an interim basis. While this is ostensibly a chance for Fassel to impress team brass and land the head coaching job for 2017, most are expecting the Rams to hire a name brand coach that will energize the fan base and give the team some additional panache in free agency.

With a few weeks to go between now and the official end of the Rams’ season, here are ten names that could be considered for the job:

Jim Harbaugh, head coach at the University of Michigan: Some say that living well is the best revenge. Others say that the best revenge against your former employer is setting up shop across the street and destroying them. Santa Clara-to-Los Angeles is a lengthy drive, but you get what we’re getting at.

Harbaugh, in theory, could leave his alma mater and crush the 49ers by joining up with a divisional rival. The Rams have reportedly been loafing in practice and Harbaugh is the kind of throwback disciplinarian that the team badly needs. It’s fair to assume that the Rams will get in contact with Harbaugh, but it will be tough to get him to leave his lucrative job in Ann Arbor.

With National Signing Day around the corner, Harbaugh could publicly remove himself himself from consideration if he is not at all interested in an NFL return. Alternatively, if Harbaugh wants to get sweet revenge against the Niners, Stan Kroenke better have his checkbook ready. Signing Harbaugh could cost upwards of $10MM/year and that’s before factoring in his buyout clause with the Wolverines. If Harbaugh bolts, he’ll owe U-M the prorated portion of his $2MM signing bonus. With two of the seven years served, 5/7ths of that amount comes out to roughly $1.43MM.

Click here to read more from Zach Links..

Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator for the Patriots: Harbaugh figures to be one of the league’s hottest coaching candidates this offseason. His first foray into coaching didn’t go as planned with the Broncos, but he’s no longer a doe-eyed youngster in his 30s and he has rebuilt his rep as an offensive guru in New England. The Rams mortgaged their future a bit for No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff and it is imperative that they put him on the right track. The Rams could see McDaniels as the right man to groom the Cal product and McDaniels could be intrigued by the possibility of working with one of the league’s most talented young running backs in Todd Gurley.

Jon Gruden, former NFL head coach/current ESPN analyst: Gruden is under contract with ESPN through 2021, but his deal does not preclude him from pursuing coaching opportunities. The Monday Night Football color man has turned down coaching advances in the past, but those close to Gruden say he would listen to a pitch from the Rams, according to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. Gruden has been in the booth for seven years, but anyone who has tuned into MNF knows that his passion for the game has not waned. Like McDaniels, Gruden could be a positive influence on Goff. Like Harbaugh, he’ll cost quite a bit of money.

Pete Carroll, Seahawks head coach: As unlikely as it sounds, there is precedent for this sort of thing. It’s not clear if Carroll is interested in going back to Cali, but the Rams would love to have him.

Kyle Shanahan, Falcons offensive coordinator: As the Rams consider coaches, they should probably give some thought to hiring the guy who embarrassed them into finally firing Fisher. Shanahan’s Atlanta offense ripped up the L.A. D on Sunday, giving the Falcons the highest offensive DVOA of any team in the league through Week 14.

David Shaw, head coach at Stanford University: If the Rams can’t land Harbaugh, how about getting the coach who replaced him at Stanford? Since taking over the job, Shaw is 63-17 and his credits include the collegiate grooming of Andrew Luck. Right now, there’s no indication that Shaw is looking to leave Stanford. It’s also worth noting that Stanford doubled Shaw’s salary from 2013 to 2014, so they have shown a willingness to do what it takes to keep him.

Jim Bob Cooter, Lions offensive coordinator: Blessed with the best name in the NFL, the Lions OC figures to garner tons of attention this offseason after guiding Matthew Stafford to the best season of his career. Cooter’s youthful energy will work in his favor. His age, however, could hurt him when it comes to head coaching consideration.

He won’t turn 33 until July and he would be the sixth-youngest man to ever become an NFL head coach in the modern era, slotting him ahead of McDaniels on that list. He’s also been arrested twice: once for a DUI and once for an aggravated burglary charge after he “climbed through a woman’s window, stripped down to his underwear, and got into bed with [a] woman,” according to CBS8. It should be noted that he has avoided all legal trouble since joining the NFL ranks.

Teryl Austin, Lions defensive coordinator: Always a bride’s maid, never a bride? Last year, Austin interviewed for four head coaching jobs and he implied that he felt two of those clubs were only talking to him to satisfy the Rooney Rule. This year, the Lions are 9-4 and atop the NFC North and this could be the year that Austin gets his big break. Popular thinking is that the Rams will go with an offensive-minded coach to help develop Goff, but it’s still possible that they could hire a head coach like Austin to get the most out of their talented D-Line.

Sean McVay, Redskins offensive coordinator: McVay won’t turn 31 until January, but this offensive guru has turned heads around the league now that he has gotten two strong seasons out of quarterback Kirk Cousins. Expect Washington to put up a fight if any team tries to swoop in on McVay. You can also expect some hesitation from interested clubs given his age and relative lack of coaching experience. If hired as a head coach this offseason, McVay would be the youngest man to ever hold an NFL head coaching job in the modern era. He might also be younger than a player or two on next year’s roster.

John Fassel, Rams special teams coordinator/interim head coach: As the man with the interim title, Fassel has to be included on this list. He may not offer the star power of the other coaches listed here, but he’ll at least be in the running if the Rams can find success in their final three games. L.A. closes out the season against the Seahawks (Thursday night), 49ers, and Cardinals. The Rams have not defeated an NFC West opponent since Oct. 2 when they beat the Cards 17-13. Since that intra-divisional W, the Rams have gone 1-8.

Other names to keep in mind: If the Rams want to go with a defense-oriented coach, they could be one of several teams to interview Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia this spring…Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst has gotten some NFL buzz…Besides Austin, Fritz Pollard candidate Anthony Lynn (Bills) could be considered…Rob Chudzinski didn’t last long as Cleveland’s head coach, but the Colts offensive coordinator is highly-respected around the league.

Coach Updates: Joseph, Texans, Browns, Bucs

January 11th, 2016 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we passed along a report suggesting that former interim head coach Dan Campbell is unlikely to remain with the Dolphins. Now, Alex Marvez of FOX Sports has another update on Miami’s coaching staff, walking back his weekend report which suggested it was a “done deal” that Bengals assistant Vance Joseph would be joining the Dolphins as their defensive coordinator.

According to Marvez (Twitter links), Joseph can’t sign with another team until next Tuesday unless he’s released from his contract by the Bengals — the Dolphins could request Cincinnati release Joseph from his deal early, but the Bengals wouldn’t be required to do so.

Meanwhile, it’s not an absolute lock that Joseph will join the Dolphins when he’s free to sign with a new team. Per Marvez (Twitter link), there’s still a chance that the Bengals’ defensive backs coach could become Hue Jackson‘s defensive coordinator if Jackson gets a head coaching job, so a bidding war for Joseph’s services could be looming.

As we wait to see where Joseph lands, let’s round up a few more coaching-related updates…

The Texans have fired three assistant coaches, including special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Wide receivers coach Stan Hixon and special teams assistant Anthony Pleasant were also let go.
Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo and three other Browns assistants have been asked to remain with the team if the new head coach wants them, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. That means defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, and several other Cleveland coaches will be free to explore opportunities elsewhere.
According to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, “word on the coaching circuit” indicates Jon Gruden would have listened very earnestly if the Colts‘ head coaching job had become available. Gruden has been linked to the Eagles’ coaching vacancy, but it doesn’t appear the ESPN analyst is going anywhere.
After former NFL GM Mark Dominik (Twitter link) alluded to a coach in the postseason who would be a strong candidate for the Buccaneers‘ head coaching opening, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) identified that coach as Cardinals OC Harold Goodwin. Goodwin interviewed with the Bucs on Friday, but won’t be able to speak to the club again for at least a week, with Arizona still alive in the playoffs.

Coach Rumors: 49ers, Shula, McDaniels, Gruden

January 8th, 2016 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers‘ head coaching search is starting to heat up, with meetings for Chip Kelly, Anthony Lynn, and John DeFilippo having been reported since Thursday night. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee weighs in with a couple more updates on the search, writing that the team may circle back to candidates it interviewed last year after it finishes with its first round of interviews. That group could include Mike Shanahan, Adam Gase, and Josh McDaniels, among others.

According to Barrows, the 49ers have also inquired about Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula. However, Shula’s agent has indicated that his client doesn’t plan to interview for jobs while Carolina remains alive in the playoffs. So if the Niners hope to talk to Shula, they’ll have to wait until at least January 17th, and possibly longer.

Let’s round up some more of Friday’s coaching-related items….

Despite having generated interest from multiple teams, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels won’t interview for any head coaching jobs during New England’s bye week, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk rightly observes, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie prefers a head coach who can co-exist with Howie Roseman, and won’t engage in the same sort of power struggle Chip Kelly did. So even if Jon Gruden has interest in the Eagles’ head coaching job, he may not be the type of candidate the team is seeking. I discussed the Gruden rumors earlier today.
At least two teams have conveyed interest in speaking with former Niners head coach Jim Tomsula, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tomsula figures to draw interest as a defensive line coach or defensive assistant.

NFC Notes: Gruden, Thurmond, Bears, Hardy

January 8th, 2016 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

When Paul Domowitch of Philly.com wrote on Thursday that Jon Gruden had expressed interest in the Eagles‘ head coaching job, it seemed like the sort of report that would get denied almost immediately. Domowitch himself said Gruden’s interest was conveyed “through an intermediary,” which would give the former Raiders and Buccaneers head coach plausible deniability. So it’s no surprise that Howard Eskin of FOX 29 tweets that he received a text from Gruden saying he’s “not interested” in the Philadelphia job.

So what to make of the various reports on Gruden? It wouldn’t surprise me if, as Domowitch reported, the Monday Night Football analyst did reach out to the Eagles through back channels. Does that mean he wants the job, or that he’s actively pursuing it? Maybe not — if he did reach out, Gruden could have been simply kicking the tires on the opening, getting a sense of what sort of candidate owner Jeffrey Lurie is seeking. If Lurie wants a less-established coach, one who won’t make a play for Howie Roseman‘s power like Chip Kelly did, then perhaps Gruden isn’t a fit in Philadelphia.

It’s possible that at some point Gruden will head back down to the field from the broadcasters’ booth and return to coaching, and the Eagles’ job may be one that interests him. But over the years, we’ve seen him leverage the possibility of returning to head coaching into what is reportedly the highest-paid contract for an ESPN broadcaster, and he seems satisfied with his MNF gig. So I’d be surprised if there’s enough mutual interest between Gruden and the Eagles to make this the head coaching position he finally takes.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Considering they still need to hire a head coach and make a decision on Sam Bradford‘s future, the Eagles have more pressing issues to address than Walter Thurmond‘s situation. Still, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer outlines, the club will have an interesting call to make on Thurmond, who is eligible for free agency after playing surprisingly well as a safety in 2015.
Don’t expect the Bears to make one giant splash in free agency this offseason, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. As general manager Ryan Pace explains, the club prefers to spread out its resources on several different players in free agency. “You kind of limit your risk a little bit when you do that,” Pace said. “I think last year there might’ve been a little more one-year deals than we would typically do just because I think part of that is, hey, we’re just getting here, we want to evaluate our team, these one-year deals give us a little bit of flexibility. But I don’t like to put all our eggs in one basket in free agency.”
After staunchly defending Greg Hardy and insisting the team wanted to extend the defensive end earlier in the 2015 season, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones sounds far less committed to Hardy these days, as Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk details. Jones’ comments on Hardy come via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.

Extra Points: Dolphins, Gruden, Browns, Titans

January 7th, 2016 at 9:22pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

As the Dolphins search for their next head coach, the areas they’re prioritizing when talking to candidates are quarterback and defense, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Dolphins brass wants to hear from prospective head coaches how they plan to help the two improve after an up-and-down fourth season from Ryan Tannehill and a year in which the defense finished 25th overall.

Further, per Salguero, interim head coach Dan Campbell‘s only chance to get a promotion to the full-time role is if he presents Miami’s hierarchy with two proven coordinators willing to join his staff. Whether it’s Campbell or someone else, the Dolphins want a coach who has real solutions to repair their problems on both sides of the ball.

Latest On Eagles’ Coaching Search

January 7th, 2016 at 8:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo interviewed for the Eagles’ head coaching job Thursday, the team announced (link to press release). McAdoo, who talked to the Giants about their head coaching vacancy earlier this week, is the fourth different candidate to interview with the Eagles, joining two in-house names – interim head coach Pat Shurmur and running backs coach Duce Staley – and Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.

One obvious similarity McAdoo, Shurmur, Staley and Gase share is that they’re all offensive-minded coaches. The same holds true for longtime head coach Jon Gruden, who has expressed interest in the Eagles’ job to owner Jeffrey Lurie through an intermediary, Paul Domowitch of Philly.com reports. Gruden has a fan in Lurie, according to Domowitch, but Lurie is unsure if Gruden and executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman would be able to work well together. Gruden has told people he and Roseman would be able to get along, per Domowitch, who notes that ex-Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said the same thing before taking over in 2013. That didn’t turn out well, of course, as Kelly and Roseman were at loggerheads during Kelly’s short run in Philadelphia. Regardless, Domowitch writes that Lurie’s focus right now is on the assistants the Eagles have interviewed and the ones they’ve yet to interview.

While Gruden could be a Plan B option if Lurie doesn’t end up smitten with any of the other candidates, the owner is currently bullish on Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson – who is scheduled to interview Sunday – and Gase. However, contrary to a previous report, the Eagles won’t conduct a second interview with Gase this weekend, according to Les Bowen of Philly.com.

Gruden hasn’t coached since 2008, having served as an analyst instead, but he had a successful tenure from 1998 until then atop the Raiders and Buccaneers, respectively. The 52-year-old compiled a 95-81 regular-season record, five playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title with Tampa to cap off the 2002-03 season. He also won eight-plus games in eight of his 11 seasons at the helm in Oakland and Tampa. Immediately prior to his time as a head coach, Gruden worked in Philly as its offensive coordinator from 1995-97.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cole’s Latest: Colts, Giants, Saban, Raiders

January 3rd, 2016 at 3:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at the latest from Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole (all video links):

The presence of Andrew Luck could lead several high-profile names to be interested in the Colts‘ potential head-coaching vacancy, per Cole, who reports that Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, and Sean Payton could all have varying levels of interest in the position. The key question, according to Cole, is how much roster/personnel control owner Jim Irsay is willing to hand over.
Luck makes the Colts job very attractive, but the most desirable landing spot on the market? The Giants, says Cole, due to ownership’s “hand-off” approach. Plus, the combination of Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. is very enticing to candidates.
Despite interest from numerous teams, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is not expected to make the leap to the NFL. Saban, who does have NFL experience with the Dolphins, is quite comfortable in Tuscaloosa, and he doesn’t want to take any attention away from his team’s looming championship game against Clemson on January 11.
Sources tell Cole that billionaire Larry Ellison (founder of Oracle Corporation) has spoken with Raiders owner Mark Davis about buying a portion of the team. While nothing is close, the mere presence of Ellison could potentially attract other investors, per Cole, and ultimately help the club make the move to Los Angeles.

Dolphins Rumors: Coyle, Tannehill, Campbell

October 5th, 2015 at 4:22pm CST by Luke Adams

While multiple reporters, including Jason Cole of Bleacher Report and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), suggested earlier today that Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle was likely to be shown the door along with Joe Philbin, Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that Coyle remains employed and is going about his job. Breer adds that Dan Campbell “has a call to make” on Coyle, suggesting the new interim head coach will make the decision on the DC’s status.

As we wait to see whether Coyle will continue to run the Dolphins’ defense, let’s round up several more items of interest out of Miami….

Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post provided an interesting report on the situation in Miami today, writing that Ryan Tannehill has been making negative comments toward practice squad players, who have been forcing him to turn the ball over in practice sessions. According to Wilson’s sources, the quarterback told players to “enjoy [their] practice squad pay check [and] practice squad trophy.”
If Wilson’s report is accurate, it’s a sign of a potentially dysfunctional locker room, but Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links) received a text message from a Dolphins player saying he was unaware of any rift between Tannehill and the club’s practice squad players. Of course, if the incident Wilson describe did happen, it’s unlikely that every Dolphin player would be eager to confirm it.
It was only a matter of months ago that the Dolphins signed Tannehill to a long-term extension, but that deal doesn’t really guarantee him a job beyond the 2016 season, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes. It may be a little early to say Tannehill’s long-term future in Miami is in jeopardy, but as Florio notes, new coaching staffs often aren’t tied to specific players on a team’s roster — even quarterbacks.
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said today that Campbell will certainly be a candidate for the Dolphins’ permanent head coaching job in 2016, tweets James Walker of ESPN.com. For what it’s worth, agent Brent Tessler tweeted today that his clients on the Dolphins said the locker room “loves” Campbell and is feeling good about the move.
Ross was loyal to Philbin to a fault, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who says it would have made sense for the Dolphins to part ways with Philbin after the 2014 season. La Canfora also explores possibilities for Miami’s permanent coaching job, mentioning names like Eric Mangini, Sean Payton, and Jon Gruden, though their odds range from unlikely to very unlikely.
Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today identifies six potential head coaching candidates the Dolphins could consider in the coming weeks or months.

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