Jon Gruden Says He Came Close to Taking Tennessee Football Head Coaching Job

Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden says he came close to taking the head coaching job at Tennessee.

Jonathan Williams | Nov 15, 2024

Sep 19, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Las Vegas won 26-17. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Tennessee Volunteers

Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden says he came close to taking the head coaching job at Tennessee.

The game of football is littered with great personalities at both the college and NFL level and Jon Gruden is near the top of that list. Gruden spent many of years coaching in the NFL and had multiple head coaching jobs, but he got his start at Tennessee back in1986 at a Graduate Assistant. And in a recent interview, Gruden revealed he came very close to becoming Tennessee's head coach.

Gruden appeared on Pardon My Take this week and during the interview, Gruden was asked hwo close he came to taking the Tennessee job. Gruden was one of many names to be rumored as a candidate, and this is what he had to say:

“My wife cheered at Tennessee. I love Tennessee. I was a graduate coach there, and I did talk to the Athletic Director,” Jon Gruden said. “And I don’t look up to anybody more than I look up to and Kenny Chesney. Those are two of my favorite Tennessee guys. And I was very interested in doing it.”

The exact year that Gruden is referring to was not revealed but he did mention that one of the many reasons why he did not want the job was due to how much he enjoyed calling Monday Night Football games with Mike Tirico which he did from 2011-2014.

“At that time I was having so much fun on Monday Night Football with Mike Tirico I couldn’t take any other job,” he said. “To be in the thought process is always exciting and hell, Tennessee was one that is really close to my heart. I almost did consider pulling the trigger there.”

Based on that timeline, one who have to assume that he is referring to Tennessee's transition from Derek Dooley. The Volunteers ended up hiring Butch Jones.

Thing have certainly worked out for Tennessee since then as Josh Heupel has the program in good hands, but it's hard not to wonder what Gruden led Volunteers team would've looked like.