Fansided

Report: Jon Gruden would listen on Rams head coaching job

By Brad Berreman

Jan 23, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; ESPN broadcaster and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders former coach Jon Gruden at Team Irvin practice at Scottsdale Community College in advance of the 2015 Pro Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; ESPN broadcaster and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders former coach Jon Gruden at Team Irvin practice at Scottsdale Community College in advance of the 2015 Pro Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Los Angeles Rams may set their sights high in search of a new head coach, and a big-named broadcaster may be willing to listen.

The Los Angeles Rams finally fired head coach Jeff Fisher on Monday, and John Fassel will step in as interim coach for the rest of the season. But a search for a long-term replacement is surely under way, and rumors have already mentioned Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh as a potential, if unlikely, candidate for the Rams.

According to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times, people close to Jon Gruden suggest he would listen to a pitch from the Rams to become their next head coach. Gruden of course currently works for ESPN as the color analyst for Monday Night Football, nearing the end of his eighth season in that role. But he won a Super Bowl as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and over 11 combined seasons as an NFL head coach he has a 95-81 record.

Gruden’s name always surfaces when a notable head coaching job comes up, even at the college level with Notre Dame a handful of years ago. But Farmer mentioned a past tie to Rams’ COO Kevin Demoff, from when the two worked for the Buccaneers, so maybe the opportunity in Los Angeles would be different for Gruden.

It’s also worth noting Gruden’s work with quarterbacks during the pre-draft process, via his annual Quarterback Camp series , and his anointing of Connor Cook as his top signal caller in the 2016 class. The Rams traded up and took Jared Goff with the first pick in this year’s draft, so he is part of the package for any candidate that may consider the Rams’ job.

There is also the matter of personnel control, which Gruden may want. Rams’ general manager Les Snead’s contract extension was announced alongside Fisher’s a little over a week ago, but he may get an opportunity to take a lead personnel role without Fisher weighing him down.

Related Story: 5 replacements for Jeff Fisher as Los Angeles Rams head coach

At this point, it will take a unique opportunity to pull Gruden out of a very good gig in the broadcast booth. His name surfacing for the Rams’ head coaching job could be a leverage play to get more money from ESPN, and when it comes time to fully vet candidates the team can probably find plenty of better options.

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