Las Vegas Raiders: The Rise and Fall of former head coach Jon Gruden

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 10: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Las Vegas Raiders walks on the field before a game against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium on October 10, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bears defeated the Raiders 20-9. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Las Vegas Raiders: The Rise and Fall of former head coach Jon Gruden

Starting his coaching journey

After graduating, Gruden’s first stop in coaching was as a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee during the 1985-86 season. By 1990, Gruden was already an assistant in the NFL, and his path to becoming a head coach was clear as day. His biggest break as an assistant came in 1995 when he was named the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator.

1998, it was the year in which it finally all culminated in Gruden’s dream coming true — as he was named the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, and was handpicked especially by Raiders general manager and owner Al Davis.

The move to hire the 34-year-old was looked at as bold and risky. He had quite the resume, but at 34-years-old was the youngest hire in league history. Hiring such a young coach seemed like a dangerous move. However, the Raiders needed to take the gamble as the Silver and Black had not been to the playoffs since 1993, and needed a jolt to a franchise that was on the decline.

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