Jon Gruden predicted to be 'in talks' with major college program for a head coaching job

Jon Gruden looms over the SEC file some sort of eternal phantom. He hasn't been a head coach since 2021, hasn't coached in college since 1991, but the 62-year old former coach and broadcaster is perpetually linked to one SEC job or another. On The Dynasty, an Alabama-based podcast, a trio of Tide-affiliated personalities suggested that Gruden could end up headed for Auburn.

Former Alabama QB A.J. McCarron talked about Auburn's need for a major coaching name in the hire after striking out with Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze. "I think Gruden's going to be in talks," said McCarron. Fellow former Tide standout Trent Richardson chimed in "Yeah." Alabama play-by-play broadcaster Chris Stewart admitted, "Be a heck of a hire, just from name recognition."

AJ McCarron on Auburn search

I think if you're Auburn, you've got to go one way or the other. You've got to go young and get a younger coach that's willing to go out and build the program back up, because the name recognition is not as a university what it used to be when you had Cam [Newton] and all of that. So you've got to have a guy that's willing to get out and recruit at an unbelivable pace or you got to hire somebody with some name recognition, a Jimbo Fisher, a Jon Gruden. You've got to get a guy that... off his name alone is going to get kids excited.
AJ McCarron

Gruden's resume

Gruden, who won Super Bowl XXXVII as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, would certainly move the needle for name recognition. Noted for his intensity and offensive chops, Gruden took the Oakland Raiders to the playoffs twice, then took Tampa Bay there three times, including his Super Bowl win. After an extended stint as a broadcaster, he returned to coach the Raiders from 2018 to 2021. An unremarkable 22-31 record and a mini-scandal involving embarrassing e-mails sent him out of that job.

Since then, Gruden has been linked to many schools. Throughout his career, Tennessee has been a topic of interest, as Gruden coached for the Vols and met his wife in Knoxville. However, the timing and his interest have seemingly never aligned. Gruden grabbed headlines when during a 2025 preseason tour he talked about his own desire to compete at an SEC level during a stop at Georgia.

Auburn's struggles

Auburn has stumbled extensively since its last 10-win season in 2017. A series of mediocre seasons spelled doom for Gus Malzahn, but after Bryan Harsin's 9-12 mark and Hugh Freeze's 15-19 record, even an 8-5 season would probably be welcome again on the Plains.

After three years of struggles, Hugh Freeze is out and former Alabama QB AJ McCarron had some strong thoughts on his potential replacement. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images