Former Bucs HC Jon Gruden becomes part-owner of pro football team

After a long hiatus away, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is making a return to football — but not in the way you may think.

Gruden was most recently in football in 2021 before he agreed to step down as head coach of the Raiders after racist, sexist and homophobic emails he had sent during his NFL career surfaced. Since then, he's joined up with Barstool Sports to create content to much success, but now he's getting back into football by joining up with a team — in the Arena Football One league.

The Nashville Kats of the AF1 announced on Monday that Gruden is set to not only become a partial owner of the team, but that he'll also serve in "consulting and advisory roles in all aspects of the team’s football and business operations."

We are excited to welcome Coach Gruden to the Kats and Arena Football One family!

He brings valuable know-how and insight that will help build the Kats for the future on and off the field!

Welcome Coach Gruden!https://t.co/O9QKCRuk7s
— Nashville Kats (@NashvilleKatsFB) May 5, 2025

The Kats played in the 2024 Arena Football League season in the only year the new league existed, going 3-4 and losing in the playoff semifinals to the Billings Outlaws, who would go on to be champions. After that league folded, AF1 was founded, and it currently holds eight teams. Gruden looks to help the Kats improve on their 3-4 record from last year and contend for a championship.

The move is perhaps the first in Gruden's effort to get into coaching again, as he has already won back the faith of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs removed him from the team's Ring of Honor after one of his emails directly insulted Tampa Bay's owners, the Glazer Family, but after Gruden appeared at a game in 2024, the team restored his position there. Aligning with the Kats could be the first stepping stone to getting back into football, and Gruden could return to the NFL ranks sooner than later.

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