Raiders will introduce Jon Gruden as head coach on Tuesday

Friday
Jan 5, 2018 at 10:54 PM Jan 5, 2018 at 10:55 PM

By Matt Schneidman and Jerry McDonaldMercury News

(TNS) — Jon Gruden will be introduced as the Raiders' next head coach on Tuesday, according to sources close to the situation.

Gruden declined to confirm the report, but said: "I expect to hear something soon."

The team is planning a "splashy" news conference, according to Steve Corkran of Raiders Snake Pit, which was first to report the news of Gruden's return to the team he coached from 1998-2001.

Gruden's contract with the Raiders is for 10 years — tied for the longest coaching contract in history — and worth around $100 million, as first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter. Gruden's annual salary would be the highest among NFL coaches and twice that of his predecessor, Jack Del Rio. Del Rio was unexpectedly fired on New Year's Eve within minutes of the Raiders' season-sending loss to the Chargers in Los Angeles.

Before the Raiders could strike a deal with Gruden, they needed to satisfy the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least one candidate of diversity. They are said to have interviewed two, one identified as Raiders tight ends coach Bobby Johnson.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Gruden already has his offensive and defensive coordinators in place. Greg Olson, currently the quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Rams, will be the offensive coordinator. The defensive coordinator will be Paul Guenther, who just completed his fourth season as defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals. Rich Bisaccia will be the special teams coach, a position he held the last five seasons for the Dallas Cowboys.

Gruden's hire comes 20 years after he was hired by late owner Al Davis as the NFL's youngest head coach at age 34. After four seasons, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for whom he won a Super Bowl against the Raiders and coached until fired after seven seasons.

Gruden has been the analyst for ESPN's Monday Night Football since 2009. Friday, he was in Kansas City, preparing to work the AFC Wild Card game between the Chiefs and Tennessee Titans on Saturday. His next job will be to fix a Raiders team that vastly underachieved in 2017.

The Raiders went 6-10 this season after going 12-4 in 2016 and earning a playoff berth for the first time since 2002.

Mark Davis, who took ownership of the team after his father's death in 2011, had reached out to Gruden when the Raiders were seeking a head coach in 2012 and again in 2014. Gruden declined both times, and the Raiders settled first on Dennis Allen and then on Del Rio two years later.

In his first tour with the Raiders, Gruden replaced Joe Bugel after a 4-12 season in 1998 and was 38-26 in four seasons, including AFC West titles in 2000 and 2001. He was 2-2 in the post season, losing in the AFC title game following the 2000 season and the divisional round in 2001. The latter was the infamous Tuck Rule game that launched the New England Patriots' dynasty.

Since Gruden was traded to Tampa Bay in February of 2002 — for four high draft picks and $8 million — the Raiders have had nine head coaches. Del Rio lasted the longest with three full seasons in which he went 25-24, including 0-1 in the playoffs.

Gruden will be the 21st coach in franchise history and the second man to make an encore, joining Art Shell, who coached the team 1989-94 and returned for one ill-fated season in 2006.

Friday
Jan 5, 2018 at 10:54 PM Jan 5, 2018 at 10:55 PM

By Matt Schneidman and Jerry McDonaldMercury News

(TNS) — Jon Gruden will be introduced as the Raiders' next head coach on Tuesday, according to sources close to the situation.

Gruden declined to confirm the report, but said: "I expect to hear something soon."

The team is planning a "splashy" news conference, according to Steve Corkran of Raiders Snake Pit, which was first to report the news of Gruden's return to the team he coached from 1998-2001.

Gruden's contract with the Raiders is for 10 years — tied for the longest coaching contract in history — and worth around $100 million, as first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter. Gruden's annual salary would be the highest among NFL coaches and twice that of his predecessor, Jack Del Rio. Del Rio was unexpectedly fired on New Year's Eve within minutes of the Raiders' season-sending loss to the Chargers in Los Angeles.

Before the Raiders could strike a deal with Gruden, they needed to satisfy the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least one candidate of diversity. They are said to have interviewed two, one identified as Raiders tight ends coach Bobby Johnson.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Gruden already has his offensive and defensive coordinators in place. Greg Olson, currently the quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Rams, will be the offensive coordinator. The defensive coordinator will be Paul Guenther, who just completed his fourth season as defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals. Rich Bisaccia will be the special teams coach, a position he held the last five seasons for the Dallas Cowboys.

Gruden's hire comes 20 years after he was hired by late owner Al Davis as the NFL's youngest head coach at age 34. After four seasons, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for whom he won a Super Bowl against the Raiders and coached until fired after seven seasons.

Gruden has been the analyst for ESPN's Monday Night Football since 2009. Friday, he was in Kansas City, preparing to work the AFC Wild Card game between the Chiefs and Tennessee Titans on Saturday. His next job will be to fix a Raiders team that vastly underachieved in 2017.

The Raiders went 6-10 this season after going 12-4 in 2016 and earning a playoff berth for the first time since 2002.

Mark Davis, who took ownership of the team after his father's death in 2011, had reached out to Gruden when the Raiders were seeking a head coach in 2012 and again in 2014. Gruden declined both times, and the Raiders settled first on Dennis Allen and then on Del Rio two years later.

In his first tour with the Raiders, Gruden replaced Joe Bugel after a 4-12 season in 1998 and was 38-26 in four seasons, including AFC West titles in 2000 and 2001. He was 2-2 in the post season, losing in the AFC title game following the 2000 season and the divisional round in 2001. The latter was the infamous Tuck Rule game that launched the New England Patriots' dynasty.

Since Gruden was traded to Tampa Bay in February of 2002 — for four high draft picks and $8 million — the Raiders have had nine head coaches. Del Rio lasted the longest with three full seasons in which he went 25-24, including 0-1 in the playoffs.

Gruden will be the 21st coach in franchise history and the second man to make an encore, joining Art Shell, who coached the team 1989-94 and returned for one ill-fated season in 2006.