Jon Gruden could be making a return to coaching -- but not in the NFL.
In the 24 hours since the University of Miami fired head coach Randy Shannon, multiple stories have named Gruden as a strong candidate to take over the job.
According to the Sun Sentinel, Gruden initiated contact with the University of Miami to say he wants to be the school’s next coach, and the school told Gruden that the interest is mutual.
University of Miami athletic director Kirby Hocutt says he wants to hire a coach who can make Miami “relevant” again, and Gruden, who won a Super Bowl as head coach of the Buccaneers and currently has a high profile as a Monday Night Football commentator, certainly qualifies. Hocutt also says money will not be an issue in the selection, that previous ties to the University of Miami aren’t a prerequisite for the job, and that head coaching experience is important.
Gruden hasn’t publicly expressed any desire to coach the Hurricanes, but it’s easy to see why a program that was once a national powerhouse would appeal to him. Miami has had some lean years and is just 7-5 in 2010, but the Hurricanes had five national championships and 14 seasons of double-digit victories from 1983 to 2003.
UPDATE: Peter King reports that Gruden will not coach the Hurricanes.