As Jason pointed out on Wednesday, NFL Network Insider Albert Breer writes that Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden is a leading candidate for the Jacksonville's head coaching vacancy. We should point out that Breer's report suggests nothing about an interview, nor an interview request from the Jacksonville Jaguars. But if the report is true, that will come soon enough. For now we throw out a point, counter-point, why Gruden leaves for Jacksonville and why he stays in Cincinnati.
Why He Leaves For Jacksonville. Gruden has deep ties in Florida, specifically the Orlando region where he spent roughly ten years as either the head coach or the quarterback for the AFL's Orlando Predators, which plays roughly 130-140 miles from Jacksonville. Before being hired by the Cincinnati Bengals as the offensive coordinator, Gruden spent another two seasons as the head coach for the UFL's Florida Tuskers and somewhere along the way he spent another seven seasons on Jon Gruden's staff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But more specifically the track record Gruden has with developing young quarterbacks hasn't gone unnoticed. As a rookie quarterback Andy Dalton has broken several franchise and league rookie records, all the while implementing an entirely new offense during an offseason that coaches weren't allowed to speak with players. If not for Cam Newton's season in Carolina, Dalton most certainly would be the league's offensive rookie of the year.
Dalton's development, we feel, is the biggest reason why Jacksonville would make the call due to the Jaguars young quarterback in Blaine Gabbert.
Why He Stays In Cincinnati. Quite honestly we have a hard time believing that Gruden's limited NFL experience would offer him the fast-track path towards head coaching after only one season as an offensive coordinator. Granted he's done well in the development of Andy Dalton, but this offense isn't a scoring machine either, playing conservatively while taking the occasional shot down the field. If not for Cincinnati's defense, the Bengals aren't in the postseason this year. The ceiling this offense has over them is unlimited, but they're not even ranked amongst the upper half of the league's offenses in most major statistical categories.
But most importantly Gruden is simply inexperienced right now as a leader of men at the NFL level. Sure his head coaching experience is vast from the minor league's of football, but if NFL ownership used a coach's experience in every football league other than the NFL, we'd see more evidence of that. Quick. Name a head coach today in the NFL that made a name for himself in the AFL or UFL, spent one season as a coordinator and then became a head coach in the NFL.
We're not downgrading Gruden's abilities. In fact he very well could be a fine head coach in the NFL. The question isn't if he'll be a head coach. The question is when and we're forced to believe that his limited experience may suggest his time isn't now.
And quite honestly one has to ask if Gruden even thinks Jacksonville would be the best scenario to get his feet wet as a head coach in the NFL.
0 recs | 34 comments
One other point here
Jay Gruden is a integral part of this teams recent success. I would have to assume he is proud of that and probably wants to see things through. If we truly have the makings of a stellar football team who could be playoff bound for the next several years, it would add to his net worth and speak volumes about his coaching ability.
I see him politely declining any offers until he gets a trophy or at least accomplishes what he wants to do here.
UpStateMike - January 5, 2012
I think that's the kind of wishful thinking just about every NFL fan has when this kind of speculation comes up
Gruden isn’t going to turn down a head coaching offer. He just isn’t. It’s romantic to think he’d like to “finish what he started” and there’s a lot of merit to that…and as Josh said, it might not even be that smart to make your first go fo it at Jacksonville since they’re NOT going to be good anytime soon…But Gruden’s a smart, ambitious guy. He’s lived in his brother’s shadow for a long long long time, and he would jump at the opportunity to coach an NFL team.
eric nyc - January 5, 2012
he'd jump at the opportunity
to be a head coach. He’s been a head coach.
featherman - January 5, 2012
in the arena football league... apples and oranges
AMAS85 - January 5, 2012
I agree
that is an unwritten rule…If you are up-and-coming…….you can’t turn down a HC job….Jeff Fisher can, but not Gruden….
ticalcaldwell - January 5, 2012
maybe if the colts job opens up
but going to jacksonville is a college football town they could care less about the jags. that would be a tough job to do for him.
bengalinflorida - January 5, 2012
I don't think he will leave as well.
1. He has done a good job, but I believe his name has a lot to do with interest. I.E. “ryans” and “harbaughs”… I think he will leave after he gets enough expierence under his belt, plus he hasn’t really gone through a normal NFL offseason.
2. If he stays and develops more realationships and the offense becomes more potent. Grueden will simply get a way better offer. He will most likely get low balled if he did decide to become a HC.
3. Along with the points above, I think he will want to try to develop some of the younger players more and reep the benefits from his hard work.
Also, I would like to see if he is a man of his word. Because I specifically remember him saying he wasn’t really interested and that he wasn’t even close to become a HC with the expierence he has now.
AMAS85 - January 5, 2012
I don't think your last point is fair
I remember exactly the quote you’re talking about, and it was the same coach speak you get from every coach at every level whenever there is any chatter about a possible promotion somewhere. It’s what you HAVE to say. He was in the middle of the season, he couldn’t say “Oh I’d love to get a chance to be a head coach if someone offered it to me.” That’s like telling your boss you’d LOVE to quit if someone gave you a better offer. It’s a good way to get yourself fired. He said what he had to say. Not that he wasn’t sincere, but I don’t think it’s fair to anyone in any walk of life to ask them to pass up an offer to advance their career and their life’s work out of loyalty to a corporation, which is exactly what the Cincinnati Bengals are. And he couldn’t have been expected to say anything else when a hypothetical question was asked of him 2 months ago.
eric nyc - January 5, 2012
He just got his feet wet in the NFL, I think he is being sincere.
He knows he’s not ready to be a head coach. He is learning and some day soon it’s going to happen, but I just don’t see it happening next season.
I say he knows he’s got a good gig here and if he is successful he can be in a much better position. I think he wants a full offseason to prepare a bigger offensive scheme with his players. If he can turn a run first bare bones WCO into a playoff contender, think what he can do with the same players the second year with an expanded play book.
After that, then we better pay the man or we will lose him sooner instead of later.
UpStateMike - January 5, 2012
I don't think you're wrong
He does need some more experience. But you also have to look at this from Jacksonville’s perspective. If he’s the guy they want, odds are his stock is only going to rise if you wait another year or two. It’s kind of the same logic we used when we hired him. We could have gone after a more seasoned NFL coordinator, but we went with the guy we wanted while he was dirt cheap. Gruden would be dirt cheap as a HC for the Jags. So as long as they went into the whole thing with the understanding that the team is probably going to be pretty bad for the next 2-3 years and that he’d have a significant cushion of time to right the ship (gaining NFL coaching experience the entire time), it might not be the worst business move for the lowest revenue-generating franchise in the league.
eric nyc - January 5, 2012
Thats not necessarly true
Tampa Bays head coach was out after his 2nd year, the lions coach was fired after one year because he didn’t win a single game.
I think it would be in his best interest to at least stay one more year….
AMAS85 - January 5, 2012
Yes
But I’m saying that would be (or I’m saying it SHOULD be) the stipulation if they were to go after an inexperienced guy like Gruden. I’m just explaining how I could see it being a smart move for Jacksonville. It could also be a really really stupid move if they expect a guy with one season of NFL coordinating experience to come in and turn a horrible team into a playoff team in a year.
eric nyc - January 5, 2012
ohhh ok yea I agree its smart move for the Jags
but not so much for Gruden. He stock will keep rising if he continues to improve this offense. We are talking about millions of dollars gaurenteed that he would miss out if he jumped the gun. And I think he knows this too.
AMAS85 - January 5, 2012
Also...
If part of his attraction is what he was capable of with a rookie in Dalton, then they’d want to get him paired up with Gabbert ASAP so that he doesn’t turn into another David Carr.
eric nyc - January 5, 2012
I don't mind coaches to beat around the bush
but what I don’t understand is why its okay to say " yea I love it here and I want to be here for the next couple of years". Then they are out by the offseason because they take their first opportunity as a HC.
there many things you can say to beat around the bush, but say your going to stay here and want to be here if you don’t mean it.
AMAS85 - January 5, 2012
hmm
sounds kinda like nick saban with the dolphins lol.
bengalinflorida - January 5, 2012
lol
a coach can easly say, "I would love the opportunity to be a HC, who wouldn’t, but at this time it would be inappropriate for the organization, coaches, and players for me to even be thinking about it at this time. I would have to look into it at a later date. "
AMAS85 - January 5, 2012
true
the jags are on there off season now, but the bengals are not. hopefully we have weeks more untill the offseason starts for us :-)
bengalinflorida - January 5, 2012
I seem to remember him saying something along the lines of...
“I’m not even thinking about that right now. I’m not ready for it. I have a lot of work to do and I’m happy doing it right here.” I dont’ remember him saying anything about being here for years or anything like that. At the moment that question was asked of him, he was in the middle of preparing his NFL offense for an NFL regular season game. He DID have a lot of work to do and he WASN’T thinking about some hypothetical job offer that might or might not come 4 months down the line. He WAS happy doing it and he WAS happy doing it here. I would just hate to see him get a HC offer and take it and then have Bengals fans call him a liar or a turncoat. To me, that’s what Brian Kelly did. He went out of his way to tell everyone how happy he was and how he had all of these long term plans for developing UC into a top college football program and how he wasn’t even entertaining any other offers, when the whole time he was CLEARLY politicking to get the Notre Dame job. THAT was sleazy.
eric nyc - January 5, 2012
hmmm i could have it mixed up but I was left with feeling that he wanted to stay here a few more years
AMAS85 - January 5, 2012
I doubt he leaves
he didnt even have an entire off-season with the Bengals and he made changes already with a Rookie QB and a Rookie #1 WR and if he takes the Jag’s job, hes going to have to shape the team into his mold of team, besides if he leave Gabbert is gone which will Screw up the Jags even more, Jay would want his own QB and Jay wants to win NOW
Touhue Cha - January 5, 2012
Ugh.
First Zimmer’s names being thrown around heavily for Tampa now Gruden for Jacksonville. Even with success they try and keep the Bengals down. Lol o_o I hope someone stays. Continuity is key here… But, I hope he goes somewhere he enjoys and understands who gave him this great opportunity. If he stays, Who-Dey.
Cincinnati222 - January 5, 2012
I'm more concerned about teams courting Zim
Zimmer has built top-ten defenses in Dallas and Cincinnati and probably deserves a shot at a head coaching gig somewhere. Maybe he doesn’t want to be a head coach, or maybe teams are turned off by his “rough around the edges” demeanor, but if either coordinator is going to be getting an interview this off-season my money is on Zim.
To be honest, I’m not all that pleased with Jay Gruden as our OC. Everyone gets a pass this year with the lockout nonsense, but it seems Jay was feeling his way around an NFL offense for most of the season. Still, he took an offense destined for rebuilding with a rookie qb and wr to the playoffs in his first season, which is no small feat in itself. Give the guy another year or two as the OC for this team and he’ll be the first name mentioned to fill any coaching vacancy. And maybe we can have a top-10 offense to complement our top-10 defense…
WhoDeyEveryDay - January 5, 2012
Just to anwer a question posed in the column as a challenge, one can name Jim Mora.
“Name a head coach today in the NFL that made a name for himself in the AFL or UFL, spent one season as a coordinator and then became a head coach in the NFL.”
Jim Mora came out of the USFL (Philadelphia Stars) and then served as head coach for both the New Orleans Saints and the Indy Colts. And I might add, he immediately became a head coach, skipping over any time as a coordinator (although before his USFL experience he had been an NFL defensive line coach). It’s true he’s not currently coaching in the NFL, but since he did, that demonstrates the point NFL owners won’t necessarily overlook coaching credentials earned in other, lesser leagues.
no kidding - January 5, 2012
Jags,tio tgree choices
m.nfl.com/news/09000d5d825b9e32/jags-owner-khan-we-know-our-top-three-choices-for-coach/
Masonr - January 5, 2012 via mobile
He said he isn't leaving.
He said something like “I want to see this young guys develop and turn into men” or something like that.
jimbasa - January 5, 2012
He'd be nuts to leave for Jaxa
Jaxa has a iffy QB who didn’t play well at all in his rookie year.
Jags aren’t loved by the community, as nobody goes to their games.
Jags could be moved.
Gruden will come cheap and go cheap if things don’t work out and he will start lower than OC in his next job.
BENGALS69 - January 5, 2012
Gruden
Just read on nfl.com jags have contacted Gruden for HC position. I thought he was under contract to bengals and the bengals have to be asked to talk with him before they contact him.
ghostrider153 - January 5, 2012
I believe that you can contact someone (or their agents/managers)
You can’t interview them without the team OK.
KSE - January 5, 2012
Either way, pretty classless to do it when he's in the middle of preparing for a playoff game
If you really want him, wait until our season is over before you start making phone calls.
eric nyc - January 5, 2012
I think both Zim and Gruden would be better of waiting
A potential AFC Championship and/or SB trophy would look pretty good on a resume and their opprotunities would be greater IMO. BUt, HC jobs aren’t a dime a dozen and I would not blame them for striking while the iron is hot.
We are in a position to attract another good OC or DC if either or both go. It wasn’t that way in the past. I choose not to worry about. It will all work out.
JUNGLEJOHN - January 5, 2012
I think Zim has a better chance than Gruden to land a HC position this offseason
but I disagree about the HC position isn’t a dame a dozen… every year there at least 5 openings for HC positions… it seems like an average HC last about 2 years lol
AMAS85 - January 5, 2012
I see your point AMA. There maybe 3-5 openings a year but there are also
a dozen or so guys like Fisher vieing for them. If I were Gruden or Zimmer and someone said “You are hired” it would be very hard to say no.
JUNGLEJOHN - January 5, 2012
yea thats true too, I didn't take account for the coaches from colleges or coaches that took a break for few years
AMAS85 - January 5, 2012
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