Gruden?

[BevoSaban]

You guys are underestimating his appeal to 18 year old kids.....they see him on TV constantly and when they see him in their own living rooms Chuckie has INSTANT credibility. He will be a freaking rock star deluxe for the first 4 years or so. Recruiting will go thru the roof. Gruden would win multiple championships at UT.

 

[Chitownhorn]

I've posted this before but I'll post it again.
I worked a coupla Super Bowls with NFL Network and NFL Films. Each time the week prior I worked the Total Access Show week prior an was assigned the A Camera which meant I focused, locked down and then babysat t he camera for the balance of the week (Gameday, I flipped and went to NFL Films and worked the sideline handheld Camera.)

Anyway, it afforded me the opportunity to"float" and work with the producer to work the Green Room and escort the Talent. One day Gruden was set to guest on a segment. Gruden showed a full 30 minutes early and the prior segment was running long. I was in the Green Room and listening to Sterling Sharpe, Warren Sapp, Devonte Jones and three or four other NFL players and coaches sit around a shoot the $#@!. They were mostly talking about a where to eat, get a good drink, which parties they were going to etc etc. NOT talking about football.

Then Gruden walked in. He immediately assumed the room. He changed the topic to football and each person in the room kinda took turns attempting to change the subject back to Wine, Women and Song, but to no availe. Gruden was in his element and everyone was going to talk about football. Thing about Gruden was, he would engage everyone and get everyone's opinion. It wasn't just his show. After about 30-40 minutes I had to go back to the set. I worked a few problems and then Jennifer Love, the Director (yes, really her name and she is a fellow UT film school Grad!) told me to go tell John Gruden his segment would be delayed another 45 minutes.

I walked in the Gree Room and Gruden was STILL holding court and it was obvious everyone in the room had given up and given in to having this intense football discussion. I was floored. It was like watching a mad genius work the room.

It left a lasting impression on me. Gruden just eats, sleeps and breathes football. It's not an act for TV.

Before you call him an egotistical maniac, I heard him truely humble himself. He told a story how he designed a game plan to help mask an injury to Sapp when he coached him at the Raiders. He said Sapp told him that he could dominate the guy he was going up against in that particular game and Gruden didn't need to protect him. After the game, which they lost, Gruden admitted he watched Sapp absolutely destroy the O-Line yet he never questioned Gruden game plan which Gruden admitted was wrong. Gruden said when he went to Tampa he knew he would bring Sapp with him because despite his public perception, Sapp was a real team guy and a unique talent.

Gruden has shown he is media savvy and I KNOW he's as good as it gets with Xs and Os. I believe he would assemble one of if not the best staffs in the college ranks. The only questions are if he'll enjoy recruiting and dealing with the BMDs.

He is my number one and has been since we lost to Bama, period.

Great story, thanks for sharing.

 

[Fatherof5]

I've posted this before but I'll post it again.
I worked a coupla Super Bowls with NFL Network and NFL Films. Each time the week prior I worked the Total Access Show week prior an was assigned the A Camera which meant I focused, locked down and then babysat t he camera for the balance of the week (Gameday, I flipped and went to NFL Films and worked the sideline handheld Camera.)

Anyway, it afforded me the opportunity to"float" and work with the producer to work the Green Room and escort the Talent. One day Gruden was set to guest on a segment. Gruden showed a full 30 minutes early and the prior segment was running long. I was in the Green Room and listening to Sterling Sharpe, Warren Sapp, Devonte Jones and three or four other NFL players and coaches sit around a shoot the $#@!. They were mostly talking about a where to eat, get a good drink, which parties they were going to etc etc. NOT talking about football.

Then Gruden walked in. He immediately assumed the room. He changed the topic to football and each person in the room kinda took turns attempting to change the subject back to Wine, Women and Song, but to no availe. Gruden was in his element and everyone was going to talk about football. Thing about Gruden was, he would engage everyone and get everyone's opinion. It wasn't just his show. After about 30-40 minutes I had to go back to the set. I worked a few problems and then Jennifer Love, the Director (yes, really her name and she is a fellow UT film school Grad!) told me to go tell John Gruden his segment would be delayed another 45 minutes.

I walked in the Gree Room and Gruden was STILL holding court and it was obvious everyone in the room had given up and given in to having this intense football discussion. I was floored. It was like watching a mad genius work the room.

It left a lasting impression on me. Gruden just eats, sleeps and breathes football. It's not an act for TV.

Before you call him an egotistical maniac, I heard him truely humble himself. He told a story how he designed a game plan to help mask an injury to Sapp when he coached him at the Raiders. He said Sapp told him that he could dominate the guy he was going up against in that particular game and Gruden didn't need to protect him. After the game, which they lost, Gruden admitted he watched Sapp absolutely destroy the O-Line yet he never questioned Gruden game plan which Gruden admitted was wrong. Gruden said when he went to Tampa he knew he would bring Sapp with him because despite his public perception, Sapp was a real team guy and a unique talent.

Gruden has shown he is media savvy and I KNOW he's as good as it gets with Xs and Os. I believe he would assemble one of if not the best staffs in the college ranks. The only questions are if he'll enjoy recruiting and dealing with the BMDs.

He is my number one and has been since we lost to Bama, period.

Great story! I am not sold on Gruden as a college coach in Texas ( no prior history in this environment ), but your post did ease my anxiety that his hire would be a complete dumpster fire.

 

[CoachBobbyFinstock]

Gruden is 1 of 5 home runs that Texas can take a run at.

X's and O's guy, offensive guy with a strong QB background and would be a big time recruiter based off his job with ESPN where every kid would know him.

Relentless work ethic and would change the culture. He is polished as a speaker to the media and would shine on the LHN.

No brainer if he would come and a couple others like Saban and the Jim Harbaugh are off the board.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Gruden is 1 of 5 home runs that Texas can take a run at.
X's and O's guy, offensive guy with a strong QB background and would be a big time recruiter based off his job with ESPN where every kid would know him.

Relentless work ethic and would change the culture. He is polished as a speaker to the media and would shine on the LHN.

No brainer if he would come and a couple others like Saban and the Jim Harbaugh are off the board.

I want Jim Harbaugh as HC, Jon Harbaugh as DC.

I give them both a $5 million bonus if they both tackle the Stoops brothers at midfield after our first wipe out of the hated ones. Harbaughs would just own them. Jim would probably stand on bob's chest, throwing up the Horns to the crowd, WWF style.

 

[DizzG]

There's a reason Gruden hasn't had a coaching job since 2008 and it isn't because he's an awesome coach that is picking his spot while working at ESPN. He has no college experience except for a year or two at Cal as an asst. He frankly doesn't fit Patterson's criteria

He's only not taken a job because he didnt want too not because they werent offered. Go ask Adam Schefter or Chris Mortensen.....Gruden has multiple NFL teams who talk to him every single year

 

[HornEsch]

My take on this is that Texas is a very unique spot with the likes of only Notre Dame. The job is a political / PR job as much as a football job, for better or worse. I personally think this job could crush a good football coach if they did not know how to handle the pressure at a place like Texas.

I personally think Gruden has 2 distinct skills that do lend themselves to him being a good choice for HC at UT.

1. The guy is a teacher. You can see that passion for teaching the game of football to others. As others have said he lives and breathes football. Where with Mack was great at getting player, he lacked the coaching up side of business. You could see Gruden take players and have them excel. Do I know that for a fact, obviously not.

2. The guy has great PR skills. I know many here don't care about that side of the business. However he has to have it here to survive. Longhorn football is big business, bigger than all the others at the college ranks. It is extremely important to the higher ups to keep it that way. They don't want to bring in someone who is going to take down what Mack Brown built up. For all the ill-will many have for MB he was great at this side of the business.

I know some point to his records at the NFL level. I for one, don't really see that as always relevant. Most HC's in the NFL don't have control of the personel. The consistently good teams have the front office and HC working well together. So it is hard to judge. Seriously Tampa Bay is cheap and built the team for one run and then got rid of anyone who was too expensive. The Raiders have been a cluster f... for a long time thanks to the owner and front office.

While Gruden may not be my first choice, he most certainly would not be a disappointment to me or a huge risk.

 

[Coal Harbour]

I think Jon Gruden is the only legitimate NFL experienced candidate. Common sense tells me that the Harbaugh's wouldn't be interested in a college job with the current success that both have at the NFL level; however, Gruden is a different story. I think most overrate the Monday Night Football gig, especially for a guy who still loves coaching.

I think Gruden would do an excellent job at UT and would be excited to see what coaching staff he could put together. I know one thing, recruiting a QB shouldn't be an issue and that is still the most important position on the football team and a clear weakness at UT.