Jon Gruden lands surprising new football job
Sep 19, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden takes the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Jon Gruden still does not have a route back into the NFL, so he is looking overseas to get involved with football.
The Milano Seamen of the European League of Football announced this week that Gruden is taking on an advisory role with the team. The Seamen are based in Milan, Italy, and are five-time winners of the Italian Football League.
We’re excited to announce that American football legend, Jon Gruden, will work with us as advisor. Gruden won in 2002 Super Bowl with Tampa Bay. Gruden will help us to improve our organization in every aspect. He already started to work with our coaching staff 💪🏻⚓️ pic.twitter.com/semPyZyh9h
— Milano Seamen (@Seamen_milano) March 11, 2024
The team will be unfamiliar to American football fans, and is largely made up of Italian players. They do list former NFL kicker and Milan native Giorgio Tavecchio as a member of the team, though.
The team’s statement says Gruden will be working with their coaching staff and offering advice to “improve our organization in every aspect.”
Gruden’s new role does not sound all that intensive, and he would probably leave it behind in an instant if an NFL offer came along. There were some rumors about him potentially joining one NFC team’s coaching staff this offseason, but that did not come to pass.
Gruden has not worked in the NFL since 2021, when he was forced to resign as Las Vegas Raiders head coach over leaked emails. He has since taken legal action against the league alleging that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job. Those legal proceedings are still ongoing.
