After spending the 2023 NFL season as an advisor with the New Orleans Saints, Jon Gruden appeared primed to take over as the team’s offensive coordinator following the firing of Pete Carmichael Jr.
As it turns out, the Super Bowl-winning head coach and former ESPN analyst did parlay his season in the Big Easy into a new gig — it just happens to be in Italy.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Milano Seamen announced that they have hired the 60-year-old Gruden as an advisor. The Seamen play in the European League of Football, which will kickoff its 2024 season in May.
https://twitter.com/Seamen_milano/status/1767130014456201332
Gruden’s move overseas is a curious one, as it was just last month that ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that there was buzz building about the former Monday Night Football analyst potentially filling the Saints’ offensive coordinator vacancy. Such a move, would have obviously been controversial, as it was less than three years ago that Gruden resigned from the Las Vegas Raiders following the uncovering of racist and misogynistic emails related to the NFL’s investigation of the Washington Commanders organization.
Gruden proceeded to file a lawsuit against the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell, alleging that Goodell leaked the emails in question The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times to damage his reputation. The NFL has denied Goodell’s claims and are attempting to get the lawsuit thrown out (litigation in the case remains ongoing).
It would be curious to learn what has changed in the last month, as Gruden went from being an apparent NFL offensive coordinator candidate to taking what is ostensibly the same position he held last season in — with all due respect to the Seamen — a much lesser league. In any event, it’s hard to view the move as anything other than another indication of a fall from grace for a man who was once the most prominent voice in all of professional football.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.