Less than a week after the end of the 2015 NFL season, the rumors are flying like crazy regarding potential Eagles’ coaching candidates. One name that has surfaced, as it seems to every few years, is current ESPN analyst and former NFL head coach Jon Gruden.
Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News reports that Gruden informed Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, through an intermediary, that he is interested in the Eagles’ head-coaching job. For now, it sounds like Lurie plans to continue on his search with his other candidates, although Lurie can always go to Gruden as a fall-back option.
It’s worth noting that others like Philly’s Howard Eskin vehemently deny the report, as does CBSSports’ Jason LaConfora, who called the rumor “ridiculous.”
Obviously, we’ll find out whether Gruden to Philly is really possible, and personally, I would be stunned if it happened. For what it’s worth, I also think it would be a terrible decision for the Eagles.
I have no interest in Jon Gruden as the head coach of my favorite football team. None.
Gruden might be the most overrated head coach of this generation. He’s escaped almost all criticism because he has a Super Bowl ring, which he earned during his first year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also won that championship after taking over a team that former head coach Tony Dungy had taken to the playoffs for three straight seasons. While Gruden did a terrific job with the 2002 Buccaneers, it was Dungy’s defense that served as the catalyst for the Bucs’ championship run, which culminated in a victory over Gruden’s Raiders. I won’t even get into the fact that he knew the playbook of the team he was facing in the Super Bowl.
During Gruden’s final six seasons in Tampa Bay, he posted three winning seasons and reached the playoffs twice. He did not win a playoff game. He was fired after 2008 when his Bucs lost their final four games and missed the playoffs after a 9-3 start. That final loss, ironically, led to the Eagles’ miraculous 44-6 win over Dallas and an unlikely trip to the NFC championship game, which may have saved Andy Reid’s job.
Gruden finished his Buccaneers career with a 57-55 record. That’s mediocre. A former offensive coordinator (he spent 1995 to 1997 with the Eagles), Gruden’s Bucs ranked below average in points scored in all seven seasons. Yes, you heard that right. Even the Super Bowl team ranked just 18th out of 32 in points scored.
His ultimate downfall in Tampa Bay was his inability to draft and develop a quarterback. He missed badly on Chris Simms in the first round of the 2004 season and wasn’t able to coax anything out of 2006 sixth-rounder Bruce Gradkowski, who started 11 games as a rookie. In the end, it was veteran castoffs like Brad Johnson and Jeff Garcia who provided the best seasons for Gruden.
That’s a major red flag. Do you want a head coach, an offensive guy, who has never developed his own quarterback to lead the Eagles? I don’t. I couldn’t trust Gruden to take Sam Bradford to the next level. What makes me think he could get the job done? Nothing.
It’s also concerning that Gruden has been away from the NFL for so many seasons. I understand that his knowledge of the game and film breakdown is second to none. There’s also a difference between breaking down film from a broadcast booth and going out there and actually coaching a team.
I’d be hesitant if the Eagles were hypothetically looking to bring back a successful coach like Tony Dungy or Bill Cowher just because they’ve been away from the game for a number of seasons. Why would I trust Gruden, who was simply mediocre, to come out of his cozy broadcast booth and lead the Eagles to the promised land?
I would be stunned if anything actually happened with the Eagles and the bi-annual Jon Gruden rumors. But if they do, don’t expect a happy ending. These aren’t your 2002 Buccaneers.
