Jon Gruden at Detroit Lions training camp Syndication: Detroit Free Press
By Reice Shipley on

It has been nearly four years since Jon Gruden resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders amidst controversy stemming from leaked emails showed homophobic and misogynistic remarks coming from Gruden. But according to Gruden, a return to coaching, whether that be at the NFL level or elsewhere, could be on the horizon.

Even while Gruden has been away from coaching, he has remained squarely in the public eye, signing on as a content creator for Barstool Sports in 2024. During his time at Barstool, Gruden has brought back his QB Camp series that date back to his time at ESPN, now remodeled as Gruden’s QB Class.

Gruden’s time at Barstool has largely been seen in a positive light, bringing some insight into the NFL that very few at Barstool can match given his extensive history of coaching at the NFL level. But on Monday, Gruden made his intention to return to coaching quite clear.

The former coach made a surprise visit at Detroit Lions training camp on Monday to see his protege, new Lions offensive coordinator John Morton, saying some positive things about Morton while talking with reporters.

“He is a hard working guy,” said Gruden of Morton. “For all the Detroit fans, what you don’t see is the work ethic that you’re getting. This guy’s nuts. People thought I was nuts, this guy is freaking nuts man. He loves it, he is a creative guy, he’s a great competitor. I can’t wait to see the Lions next season.”

While Gruden was seemingly there to show his support for Morton and offer some insight to Lions players, he also didn’t shy away from answering questions about what is next for him professionally, explaining how he is “about to make a comeback” to coaching at whatever level will have him.

“Hopefully I’m not done,” Gruden said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I’m about to make a comeback. I’m working hard to maybe get one more shot, but hopefully some of these guys that fell off my branch, if you say it that way, maybe they can hire me cause I’m looking for a job.”

Gruden was then asked whether he sees a return to the NFL as realistic, explaining that he will return to coaching at the high school level if that’s what it takes to get back on the sidelines.

“I don’t care if I coach at Jones Junior High,” Gruden said. “I’m going to coach again. I’m still coaching. I’m just not on a team officially, but I do have some private assignments I work on and I wear some gear when I’m watching the games that nobody knows about who I’m pulling for.”

As for how Gruden views his role at Barstool, the former Super Bowl champion explained that he is looking forward to doing “really neat stuff” this coming football season.

“These are young, creative people. I’m trying to find my niche,” said Gruden. “I don’t know how I got into opening these boxes. But if you have a box and want me to open it, send it to me. But it’s cool people and we’re gonna do some really neat stuff during the season. I really like the guys I’m working with.”

By the sounds of things, Gruden views his role at Barstool as a fun opportunity that he is doing in the meantime while he continues to seek an opportunity to coach again. So it will be interesting to see whether Gruden ultimately does get “one more shot”on the sidelines.

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.

View all posts by Reice Shipley