Well, that escalated rather quickly. After three-plus seasons as the Las Vegas Raiders head coach, Jon Gruden is out of a job.
Following a damning report from The New York Times depicting Gruden displaying homophobic and misogynistic tendencies in email form, the head coach has reportedly resigned.
The damning new allegations come mere days after a report was released focusing on an email Jon Gruden allegedly sent to former Washington Football Team President Bruce Allen back in 2011 saying NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith has “lips the size of Michellin tires.”
The new information released by The NY Times on Monday pretty much put an end to Gruden’s tenure in Las Vegas.
“Gruden’s messages were sent to Bruce Allen, the former president of the Washington Football Team, and others, while he was working for ESPN as a color analyst during ‘Monday Night Football,’ the sports network’s weekly prime-time telecast of N.F.L. games,” the scathing report read. “In the emails, Gruden called the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, a ‘faggot’ and a ‘clueless anti football pussy’ and said that Goodell should not have pressured Jeff Fisher, then the coach of the Rams, to draft ‘queers,’ a reference to Michael Sam, a gay player chosen by the team in 2014.”
Gruden rejoined the Raiders back in 2018 and has led them to a 22-31 record. He coached the organization from 1998-2001 before being traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Later on Monday, Gruden released a statement officially announcing his resignation. In the process, he apologized for his previous comments and thanked the organization.
“I have resigned as Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction,” Gruden said. “Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.”