Jon Gruden is an American former professional football coach who was the head coach in the NFL for 15 seasons. He served as the head coach for the Oakland Raiders from 1998 to 2001, winning two consecutive titles and making AFC Championship Game appearances.
Gruden was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002 when he won Super Bowl XXXVII in the same season. At 60 years old, he became the youngest coach to win the Super Bowl.
After resigning from Buccaneers, Jon worked as an analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast from 2007 to 2017. Later, he rejoined the Raiders in 2018 and stayed until the 2021 season.
The NFL received a minor victory against Jon Gruden on January 25, 2023, after the Nevada Supreme Court ruled out his case until further order. He accused the NFL of leaking the emails that led to his resignation.
Keep up with the article to learn more about this accomplished coach. Firstly, take a look at the undermentioned quick facts on Joe.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | John David Gruden |
| Birth Date | August 17, 1963 |
| Birth Place | Sandusky, Ohio |
| Nick Name | Chucky |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Clay High School, Notre Dame University, Muskingum College |
| Horoscope | Leo |
| Father’s Name | Jim Gruden |
| Mother’s Name | Kathy Gruden |
| Age | 60 Years Old |
| Height | 5’10″/1.77 m/177 cm |
| Weight | 91 kg/200 lb |
| Hair Color | Gray |
| Eye Color | Gray |
| Build | Athletic |
| Relationship | Married |
| Spouse | Cindy Gruden |
| Children | Three; Deuce, Michael, and Jayson Gruden |
| Profession | Sportscaster, NFL coach (Retired) |
| Net Worth | $30 Million |
| Salary | $100 Million |
| Broadcasting Affiliations | ESPN |
| Merch | Autographed Items, Book |
| Last Update | April 2024 |
Early Life & Education
Gruden was born on August 17, 1963, in Sandusky, Ohio. His father, Jim, worked as a professional regional football scout, quarterbacks coach, and player staff director for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He played and coached at the Arena Football League and became head coach of the Washington Redskins. To our surprise, his brother, James, is a Weill Cornell Medicine Radiologist.
Gruden was raised as Roman Catholic and was a growing fan of the Cleveland Browns. He attended Clay High School at age 15 in South Bend, Indiana, where his father worked as an assistant to head coach Dan Devine.
He graduated high school in 1981 and attended Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio.
Age, Height & Body Measurements
With a well-built body and dashing personality, Joon stands at the height of 5’10″/1.77 m and weighs around 91 kg/200 lb.
Since he is a former coach, there is no doubt that he cares for his physical well-being and possesses an athletic build.
Relationships & Marriage
The former professional football coach is married to Cindy Brooks. Added to that, Gruden shares three children; Deuce, Michael, and Jayson Gruden.
Gruden is now living a blessed and committed marital life with his spouse Cindy. His wife had previously served as the head coach in the National Cheerleader Association.
She is a philanthropist who supports various causes alongside her husband and organizes activities for these purposes.
How Did They Meet?
The young couple met during their college years and immediately fell in love.
Their marriage proposal was as cute as their friendship. Gruden purchased a ring worth $1,800k which completely mesmerized his then-girlfriend-turned-wife.
Besides, he did not want to spare any expense when proposing and wanted to splurge it all on his wife.
Conditions Put Forward By Jon
Gruden had made it clear that he would only marry his wife, Cindy Brooks, once he got a full-time job as a coach at a university.
Fast forward to their wedding, on July 6, 1991, they tied the knot, and it has been more than thirty-three years.
Given the more than two-decades-long union, what makes fans fall in love with the couple even more, is the fantastic fact that there is no controversy surrounding their relationship.
Children
Both Gruden and Brooks have three children together. Their first child, Deuce Gruden, was born on January 19, 1994.
Unlike his father, Deuce took a different career direction and participates in the Minsk World Classic Powerlifting Championships of the International Powerlifting Federation.
They share two other sons, Michael Gruden and Jayson Gruden, but their birth date is unknown.
Speaking with the media in 2018, Jon said, “My middle son, Michael, who’s going to be a freshman in Tennessee this fall, and then my youngest son, Jayson, was in the quarterback camp.”
Career
Gruden had an enormous long NFL career, starting from 1986-2021.
Here we will be talking in timelines about Jon’s career as a coach and a broadcaster. Let us start with his college coaching career.
Jon Gruden’s Coaching Background
| Years | College/Pro Team | Position Coached |
| 1986-87 | University of Tennessee | Graduate Assistant |
| 1988 | Southeast Missouri State | Passing Game Coordinator |
| 1989 | University of Pacific | Wide Receivers |
| 1990 | San Francisco 49ers | Offensive Assistant |
| 1991 | University of Pittsburgh | Wide Receivers |
| 1992 | Green Bay Packers | Offensive Assistant |
| 1993-94 | Green Bay Packers | Wide Receivers |
| 1995-97 | Philadelphia Eagles | Offensive Coordinator |
| 1998-01 | Oakland Raiders | Head Coach |
| 2002-08 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Head Coach |
| 2018-2021 | Oakland Raiders | Head Coach |
After graduating from the University of Dayton, Gruden was hired as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Tennessee for the 1985–86 season. After his tenure with the Volunteers, he spent two years as a quarterback coach at Southeast Missouri State.
Gruden then moved to the University of Pacific in 1989 as an offensive assistant and tight-end coach. Walt Harris was the offensive coordinator at Tennessee, where he was one of the graduate coaches, and was later hired at Pacific.
In 1990, Gruden was a special assistant to the San Francisco 49ers under quarterback coach Mike Holmgren. Later in 1991, he became a receiver coach for the University of Pittsburgh under head coach Paul Hackett.
Professional Coaching
In January 1992, Gruden was hired by Mike Holmgren, his former San Francisco 49ers boss, to be the Green Bay Packers’ outstanding offensive assistant/wide receiver coach.
With The Oakland Raiders
Under Gruden, the Raiders posted an impressive consecutive 8–8 seasons in 1998 and 1999 and leaped out of the AFC West’s last place.
The team finished 12–4 in the 2000 season, the most successful season in a decade and its first division title since 1990.
The Raiders made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 2000 to 2002 but were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl champions New England Patriots, in 2001.
Gruden was given his nickname “Chucky” by Raiders defensive lineman Grady Jackson, who thought the coach looked like the fictional character ‘Chucky’ in the 1988 slasher movie Child’s Play.
At 28, Jon became the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator under former Packers assistant coach Ray Rhodes after three seasons in Green Bay Packers.
Gruden was then selected by the Oakland Raiders owner and general manager, Al Davis, to be the Raiders’ new head coach out of nowhere for the 1998 season.
The Youngest Head Coach
At 39, Gruden became the youngest head coach to win Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders to a commanding 48-21 victory.
Jon’s slogan for the 2002 season was “Pound the Rock,” a reference to their commitment to the running game. Upon his return to Raymond James Stadium, the fans chanted the slogan, which disappeared in the following year.
The squad was decimated by injuries, including several Super Bowl stars like; Greg Spires, Joe Jurevicius, Shelton Quarles, and Brian Kelly, which resulted in enmity between veterans.
However, the Buccaneers finished 7–9 in 2003 and 5–11 in 2004 to become the first team to have consecutive losing seasons since winning Super Bowl XXXVII.
Post-Tempa Bay Career
In May 2010, Jon became a volunteer assistant offensive line coach at Carrollwood Day School in Tampa, Florida.
Soon after being fired from Tampa Bay, Gruden created the Fired Football Coaches Association, which is known to have a large amount of the game and player film collected by Gruden.
Many coaches, such as Chip Kelly, Urban Meyer, Jim Haslett, Rick Venturi, Sean McVay, Greg Schiano, and Monte Kiffin, came to watch the film and talk with Gruden.
Later, Gruden closed the FFCA upon his return to coaching in 2018.
Oakland / Las Vegas Raiders
Even after nine years of coaching in the NFL, the Raiders announced Gruden’s return as head coach on January 6, 2018. Gruden signed a 10-year, $100 million contract, one of the most significant agreements in the league’s history.
The team would go 4-12 in his first year back with the team. Gruden led the Raiders to a 6-4 record the following year. However, after many crucial players suffered injuries, the team would end their last season in Oakland 1-5 and 7-9 overall.
A league investigation into the Washington Football Team in October 2021 uncovered emails Gruden then sent to Washington manager Bruce Allen where he used racist and homophobic slurs.
After the incident, he sued the NFL for leaking the emails that led to his resignation. He was removed from the Buccaneers Ring of Honor, where he had been inducted in 2017.
Broadcasting Career
In May 2009, ESPN hired Gruden as a color analyst for Monday Night Football. He also worked for ESPN college soccer games, including the 2010 Rose Bowl and 2010 BCS National Championship Game.
Gruden signed a contract extension with ESPN in 2012, which lengthened his tenure with the broadcasting company for another five years. The new contract made him the highest-paid personality at ESPN.
Jon opted to return to the coaching ranks for the 2018 NFL season with the Raiders and retired from ESPN after the 2017 season.
The AFC Wild Card game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans in 2017 was his last game for ESPN.
After signing a ten-year deal with the Raiders, the former head coach stated, “I never wanted to leave the Raiders. I never thought I’d be back. But here I am, and I’m ready to get to work. And I love the Raiders. The brand is global. Everywhere I went as a Monday Night Football analyst, the Raider nation would come out of the ground.”
Gruden further stated that he wouldn’t take money if he won’t be able to get things done. However, he didn’t elaborate on what ‘things’ he meant.
Hard Knocks
Gruden appeared in the 2019 editions of HBO’s Hard Knock Show. The show premiered in August and aired its final episode in September.
He commenced the first episode’s introduction with a speech for the rookies and followed by sharing memorable moments from his high school and collegiate days.
The second episode was followed by a short game description and his authentic self as a coach. Likewise, Gruden appeared alongside Frank Caliendo in the third episode, where Frank performed his impression in the training facility.
Moving on to the next episode, Gruden performed and worked as an athlete. He also chased Derek Carr at full speed. By the end of episode five, the season’s finale, Gruden was getting emotional.
In the meantime, Gruden also commented about Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, who showed great athleticism.
Net Worth & Salary
As of 2024, Jon Gruden, including all of his assets and earnings, has an approximate net worth of $25 million. He earned $6.5 million as an annual salary as an ESPN color analyst.
On January 6, 2018, the Raiders announced Gruden’s return as head coach for a 10-year on a contract worth $100 million, considered the most valuable deal in sports history.
Since his annual earnings are millions, Jon lives a comfortable life. Well, he’s got some properties, including cars and homes, worth about $10 million.
Popularity
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Jon Gruden's coaching record?
As a head coach for the Raiders from 1998 to 2001, he maintained a record of 38-26. He maintained a record of 95-81 as a head coach, reaching the postseason five times.
He is my hero. So sick of cancel culture. it is stupid. He can say anything he wants. And gidel is an ass hole.
Ahd Kapernick is also an ass hole. So I love this guy.
You say he was born John David Gruden but throughout the article you refer to him as Jon. Which is correct, Jon or John ?