• Loading stock data...
Thursday, July 10, 2025
exclusive
Teams

Jon Gruden Expected to Be ‘Hot’ NFL Head Coaching Candidate Despite Suit, Emails

More than three years after leaked emails forced his resignation, Gruden appears to be in the mix for NFL head coaching jobs.

Jon Gruden
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Jon Gruden’s troublesome emails and his litigation against the NFL won’t keep him from being in the mix to return as a head coach as the 2025 hiring cycle kicks into gear in the coming days. 

Gruden is expected to be one of the “hot” candidates among teams looking for a new head coach, a person with knowledge of the situation told Front Office Sports. Earlier this week, NFL Network reported that multiple teams have weighed hiring Gruden. 

There are three teams with head coaching positions (Bears, Jets, and Saints) and other openings are expected after the NFL regular season concludes Sunday. 

In October 2021, Gruden resigned as head coach of the Raiders—a team that could be moving on from Antonio Pierce—after sexist, racist, and anti-gay emails Gruden sent while working for ESPN were published by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Days after his resignation, Gruden alleged in a lawsuit against the NFL that the league “intentionally” released the messages Gruden exchanged with then-Washington exec Bruce Allen between 2011 and 2018. The NFL had denied it was the source of the emails, which were obtained during an investigation of the Commanders and former owner Dan Snyder. 

Neither Gruden’s nor Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’s suits against the league will impact teams’ hiring decisions, the source believes. Flores filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL in 2022 days after he was head coach of the Dolphins, and the case remains ongoing. 

Flores is in his second season on head coach Kevin O’Connell’s staff. Last season under Flores, the Vikings improved from 31st in team defense to 16th. Through Week 17 this season, Minnesota’s defense leads the league in takeaways as the Vikings face the Lions on Sunday, with the winning team earning the NFC’s No. 1 seed (and a bye). 

Gruden apologized for the emails, which included the use of a racist stereotype to describe then-NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith in 2011. With the NFL seeking to diversify its coaching ranks in a league where Black players are the majority, a Gruden hire could face blowback. 

“I went too far calling him the Michelin lips,” Gruden told The New York Times in 2021. “I never had a blade of racism in me,” Gruden said, adding that he “used a terrible way to insult a guy.”

The NFL Network reported that Gruden turned down the Saints’ offensive coordinator job before the season and is among the teams considering Gruden for the head coaching vacancy created when Dennis Allen was fired in November. 

Gruden worked in an advisory role with the Saints during training camp in 2023, and he was spotted on the sideline as a guest of the Buccaneers ownership earlier this season. Gruden led the franchise to its first Super Bowl title in January 2003. 

Days after his visit to Raymond James Stadium on Nov. 10, it was announced that Gruden would join Barstool on a multiyear deal. He has appeared on multiple Barstool shows since his hire, and the site sells Gruden memorabilia. 

Gruden’s lawsuit against the NFL has been stayed for more than two years as the Supreme Court of Nevada has decided on the NFL’s appeal. Clark County District Court Judge Nancy Allf, who has since retired from the bench, ruled against the NFL’s motions to dismiss the case or, alternatively, remand the case from arbitration. In a 2–1 decision in May, the Supreme Court of Nevada reversed Allf’s arbitration decision. 

But it didn’t end there. Gruden asked for a rehearing in front of the full Supreme Court of Nevada and, in October, that motion was granted. The en banc hearing has yet to be scheduled. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Florida Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

Athletic Departments Express Renewed Interest in PE in Wake of House Settlement

Schools now have more expenses—and are looking for creative solutions.
Caster Semenya

Caster Semenya’s Legal Win Could Reopen Fight Against Testosterone Limits

The Olympian champion’s appeal against gender eligibility rules continues.
Gareth Bale
exclusive

Gareth Bale Group Makes New Offer for Cardiff City 

Bale tells Front Office Sports his group has made another bid.
Hall of Fame Open at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport.

Andy Roddick Slams Billionaire Bill Ackman’s Pro Tennis Gambit

“This was the biggest joke I’ve ever watched in professional tennis.”

Featured Today

Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
Alex Sarr

Wizards Pushing Limits of Youth With 11 Players on Rookie Deals

Washington’s 2025 first-round pick is top-eight protected.
Chelsea
July 8, 2025

Chelsea Club World Cup Run Banks at Least $100M for Mark Walter..

The Blues will likely take home between $100 million and $120 million.
July 9, 2025

From Dynasty to Disarray: Red Bull Fires Christian Horner

He served as Red Bull team principal for more than two decades.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 8, 2025

Texas Sports Teams, Leagues Donate Over $5M to Flood Relief

NFL, MLB, and NBA teams in Texas donate to flood recovery efforts.
Chelsea
July 8, 2025

Club World Cup Semis Are Battle to Make Richest Soccer Final Ever

Semifinalists have each earned at least $60 million from the tournament so far.
July 7, 2025

Nationals Hit Reset Button, Oust Rizzo and Martinez Before Draft

The MLB club made major leadership changes just days before the draft.
July 6, 2025

Liverpool to Pay Diogo Jota’s $20M Contract to His Widow

Jota had two years remaining on his contract.