By Jimmy Hyams
While Butch Jones remains Tennessee’s coach, many in the Vol Nation have moved on.
They even have a target: Jon Gruden.
We’ve seen this before. Tennessee fans clamored for Gruden in 2012, before Jones was hired.
Gruden was the sexy name then. He’s the sexy name now. He will continue to be a sexy name when it comes to coaching vacancies.
Five years ago, a member of the UT Board of Trustees told me Tennessee offered Gruden $5 million a year for six years – a $30 million guarantee. So much for the UT fans that think the administration goes on the cheap with very football hire – a bogus premise.
Gruden said no then for the same reasons he would say no now, if approached: The 20-hour rule, NCAA recruiting restrictions, NCAA rules in general, booster involvement, and the headaches that come with the job.
College coaches work 100 hours a week.
How much does Gruden have work during the fall: 20 hours? 30? He might watch film incessantly, but his hours obligation to ESPN doesn’t compare to those of a coach.
Remember this: Gruden is undefeated since he was fired by Tampa Bay in 2009.
Remember this: Gruden makes $6.5 million a year for ESPN and a few million more for commercial endorsements.
Remember this: Gruden hasn’t coached in college since 1989 when he was an assistant for Walt Harris at Pacific. The extent of his college coaching (counting his graduate assistant stint at Tennessee): four years.
And while I like Gruden personally and professionally, there is no guarantee he would be a winner in college.
His NFL resume is good but not great. He won a Super Bowl with the Bucs in 2002, but his overall record as a head coach: 100-85.
Dan Wolken, columnist for USA Today, isn’t sold on Gruden as a college coach, either.
“Would he even be a good college coach?’’ Wolken said when speaking earlier this week at the Knoxville Quarterback Club. “I don’t know.
“The thing about college football: It’s a developmental game. The NFL is scheme, chess pieces, Xs and Os. You move the pieces around. You try to outcoach people. Try to outscheme people.
“Obviously, it’s a players’ game. But it’s the best of the best.
“In college, you’ve got a guy from 18 years old to 21. A huge chunk of their football and personal development goes into that. That’s why college coaching is different.
“Would Gruden be good at that? I don’t know.’’
My thought: No. Gruden doesn’t have the patience for developing players. He wants ready-made stars, ready-made quarterbacks, ready-made receivers, etc.
But what if you hired Gruden?
“He’d be a great face of the program,’’ Wolken said. “He’d be great talking to the media. He’d bring all kinds of attention. But it’s a unique challenge. I’ve just never heard any indication that he really would do it.’’
So why doesn’t Gruden put to rest rumors he might be UT’s coach?
“I think Jon Gruden enjoys people talking about Jon Gruden,’’ Wolken said. “I think that is fairly well established over the years.
“Everyone’s got an ego in this business. Everyone likes it when they’re wanted. Everyone likes being the apply of somebody’s eye. Everybody likes to be a little bit unattainable or at least give that vibe.’’
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