Truth & Rumors: Gruden would take OSU gig if offered

Submitted by CHI_BLU on

FROM CNNSI

"But over the past few months, and before Tressel was kicked out on his ass, Gruden told more than a few people he was antsy and desired a return to coaching."

 

Dizzo

May 31st, 2011 at 3:15 PM ^

I've seen on a few sites the Dungy rumors because such a great guy would be the perfect fit to fix their mess... It wouldn't be a true elite opening without a Dungy reference. 

Njia

May 31st, 2011 at 3:07 PM ^

2 + 2 < 5

Sounds like someone went a little far on his or her logic. Having a probable coaching vacancy at the same time that a former coach wants to get back into the game does NOT equal "Gruden wants the OSU job". Far from it.

BiSB

May 31st, 2011 at 3:12 PM ^

Open a new Microsoft Word document, and type "Sources indicate Jon Gruden."  A helpful paperclip will pop up and say "I see you're starting the mandatory unfounded speculation about Jon Gruden taking the job of the hot college gig du jour.  Would you like help?"

meghan

May 31st, 2011 at 3:16 PM ^

I said to my husband, who is a Miami fan, "Well, the good news is that Gruden to Ohio State will likely have the same result as Gruden to Miami and Gruden to Michigan did." 

 

gobluesasquatch

May 31st, 2011 at 3:47 PM ^

Someone will come up with some original names for openings at major universities. After all, Weiss, not Meyer was hired at Notre Dame, Rodriguez, not Miles nor the guy from Rutgers at UM, not Mullen at Florida, but Muschamp, and I'm sure I can go ahead and list others if I had the time. 

Snooze. 

readyourguard

May 31st, 2011 at 3:53 PM ^

Fickell is their man for the foreseeable future.  He's an Ohio boy, played for the Bucks, knows the players, comes cheap, and will give it everything he has.  Let's face it, nobody else is going to enter that nightmare until the dust has firmly settled (unless, of course Lane Kiffin or Nick Saban get an itch they need to scratch).

 

orobs

May 31st, 2011 at 4:04 PM ^

Who cares who their coach is? Last time they looked for a coach, they couldn't get any top prospect, and settled on little known tressel. He turned out to be a pretty damn good coach. Regardless of the guy being a top name or nobody, I just want to beat them to a pulp.

rockydude

May 31st, 2011 at 4:08 PM ^

All OSU is looking for, is a whipping boy to handle the storm while it is at its worst. Jon Gruden (and whoever else you can think of with a big name) is not heading to Ohio to be docked ten scholarships a year, be banned from bowl games, and possibly banned from tv. Does anyone out there genuinely think that Bob Stoops is leaving his Oklahoma powerhouse to take over a program that is not only going to be crippled, but he doesn't even know exactly how or the extent of it ?

Luke Fickell is pretty much what they need. He is a well liked Buck to try and guide them through the storm for cheap. If he somehow has success, they go ahead and hire him. If not, throw him on the slag heap with Tressel, Smith, and Gee. The only caveat with Fickell is that he was present on campus for the Late Unpleasantness and could conceivably get taken down with the rest of them.

Space Coyote

May 31st, 2011 at 5:44 PM ^

I said this before during the rumors of Gruden coming to Michigan.  Gruden isn't going to be a college coach, but if he was he would be scary.

Think how we talk about Mattison recruiting because he was the Ravens DC.  Gruden won a Super Bowl as a head football coach.  He made Oakland, I repeat, Oakland consistently good.  He has been successful almost over his entire coaching career.  You may think he's overrated, he may not be the best NFL coach of all time, but he has been a good one.  And recruits would see that and want to play for him.

If someone responds to this they will bring up Weis.  Weis won a Super Bowl as an OC.  Weis recruited very well at ND.  Weis was either just not good in the head coach position or didn't know how to tailor his game for college.  Still, the potential was there and there was reason to fear until it was proven he didn't know how to succeed for either of those two reasons.  Gruden would recruit better than Weis, has proven to be a good head football coach, and could potentially tailor his game in a way to allow college kids to understand.

I'm not saying Gruden would automatically make a great college coach, but he is as sure as a bet as is out there.  He would be a great recruiter of both players and coaches because both would understand that he could help them get to the next level.  I certainly wouldn't want Michigan to face him on Saturdays or during the off season in recruiting.

Again though, he isn't going to be coaching at OSU.

Tater

May 31st, 2011 at 6:49 PM ^

Anything that keeps the spread offense out of Columbus is great in my book.  If there's anything Gruden has proven, it's that he can't win big without decidedly superior personnel.  I would love to see him there; it would spice up the rivalry, but Michigan would still win their share.

BRCE

May 31st, 2011 at 7:34 PM ^

Jon Gruden is the biggest schmoozer in sports and fits his current TV role better than he ever fit a coaching gig by orders and magnitudes.

I think it's been pretty well established that he is someone who likes having his name attached to every vacancy out there but doesn't have any real interest in leaving his current, cushy confines to take a job that requires actual stress.

BRCE

May 31st, 2011 at 7:37 PM ^

That link is utterly offensive. The writer -- someone we are NOT given the identity of -- states and then restates with authority that Gruden would take the job if offered. Of course, when he is wrong, no one will remember and if they did, wouldn't know who misled them.

It's been said a million times before, but what the hell happened to journalism? The internet sucks so much ass sometimes.