SAN DIEGO – JANUARY 26: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers observes the players before Super Bowl XXXVII against the Oakland Raiders at Qualcomm Stadium on January 26, 2003 in San Diego, California. The Buccaneers defeated the Raiders 48-21. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

You’d think by this point NFL teams would get the point: Jon Gruden likes being an ESPN broadcaster. He is not going to be your next coach.

But apparently that message has not come through clearly, because ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday at the Indianapolis Colt tried to hire Gruden but that Gruden, for the umpteenth time, said he wanted to remain in the broadcast booth.

Via ESPN:

Gruden intends to remain in the television booth, sources said, in part because of the coaching restrictions of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement.

He has denied any discussions with Irsay, saying: “I know nothing. I’ve told people I’m not coaching. I’m a broadcaster. I’m not a coach.”

According to Schefter, Gruden has also fielded calls from the 49ers and Rams this offseason.

The Colts’ interest in Gruden is particularly interesting given that Indianapolis already has a coach, in Chuck Pagano. With apparently no preferable coaching candidate on the market, the Colts will reportedly bring Pagano back for next season.

And Gruden will keep doing his thing on ESPN, giving overly enthusiastic commentary on Monday Night Football and hosting Gruden’s QB Camp in the spring,

It’s no mystery why teams keep trying to hire Gruden. He had a 95-81 record in 11 years in charge of the Raiders and Buccaneers, reaching the Playoffs five times and winning Super Bowl XXXVII. He can coach. And he would have been a good fit with the Colts, who have a potential superstar quarterback in Andrew Luck but haven’t quite figured out how to maximize his talent.

But, to no one’s surprise, Gruden said no. Unlike many former coaches, who use TV to keep them occupied and engaged while they look for their next coaching gig, Gruden is clearly all-in on broadcasting. NFL teams will surely keep calling, and he’ll surely keep saying no.

About Alex Putterman

Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.