The Glazers Introduce Jon Gruden
(February 20, 2002)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired Tony Dungy on January 14 and it took until today to introduce a new head coach. Malcolm Glazer made some short comments before Jon Gruden took the podium. Gruden said it was like a dream to be the Bucs head coach. At times the processing of selecting the team's seventh head coach may have seemed more like a nightmare.

At age 38, Jon Gruden is the youngest head coach in the league and he already has four years with the Oakland Raiders under his belt. He is exciting, intense and considered an offensive genius, some have already referred to him as the anti-Dungy. The Bucs gave up plenty to get him. Since Gruden had one year remaining on his contact, Tampa Bay sent draft picks and cash to Oakland in compensation. A first and second round draft pick in this year's draft, a first in 2003 and second in 2004, along with $8 million was the price. Was it worth it? Gruden seems to be a good fit. He has ties to the area and his parents live in Tampa. Gruden once even took a summer job at Hooters in Tampa. He wants to be here.

It was a month of bumbling and stumbling, before the Bucs landed Jon Gruden. When the successful, and extremely popular, Tony Dungy was fired the expectation was that Bill Parcells would take over the helm. In a flashback to 1992, Parcells hemmed and hawed and eventually, as Hugh Culverhouse once said, jilted the Bucs. The double whammy was that since a deal with Parcells was considered in the bag, despite denials from the Glazer boys who claimed they had not talked to Parcells, no move was made to sign Steve Spurrier. When the Tuna backed out, and Spurrier signed with Washington, it left the Bucs with no obvious options.

Jon Gruden's name came up, however, it was felt the price was too high. Bucs General Manager Rich McKay interviewed the next group of candidates. Chargers offensive coordinator Norv Turner, Steelers offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and Baltimore defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis are considered top candidates. It is February when McKay tells Joel and Brian Glazer he would like hire Marvin Lewis, however, they say take one more shot at Gruden. McKay follows orders, but considers the demands from Raiders owner Al Davis unrealistic and it looks as if Lewis is going to be named head coach. Somewhere around this time, there was the rumor that Bill Parcells was reconsidering.

The Bucs and Marvin Lewis begin discussing coaching staffs and working on a contract. On February 8, the press gathers at One Buc Place for the expected announcement. The word from the Bucs is that Lewis is out and the search will continue. The night before, the Glazers met with Lewis for five hours over dinner in Washington D.C. and said they did not have the "comfort level" to hire him as head coach. McKay was upset and the Glazers would go it alone from this point forward.

The Glazers interview Ralph Friedgen, however, he announces he is staying at the University of Maryland. The Glazers head to California for a long planned family gathering. Many thought they would see University of Washington's Rich Neuheisel and Oregon State's Dennis Erickson while they were on the west coast. Then came the surprising word that the Bucs had received permission to talk to San Francisco head coach Steve Mariucci. They offered him the job as head coach and general manager. Mariucci said he would sleep on it, however, the Glazers felt he would decide not to relocate his family and stay with the 49ers. Joel Glazer made a call to Al Davis.

It was 11:00 Sunday night, when Joel Glazier called the Raiders owner and pretty much agreed to his demands. They tweaked the compensation plan, but the Raiders ended up with two first round and two second round draft picks, along with $8 million. Calls between Gruden, Davis and the Glazers would go on all night. In the early morning, Mariucci calls to say he's not interested and wished the Bucs luck in the search for a head coach. Several hours later, the team announces it has hired a new head coach.

When the news broke that the Buccaneers had filled the head coaching vacancy, many thought to themselves Steve Mariucci was a decent choice. When word came that it was Jon Gruden, astonishment gave way to excitement. A wild ride? It is a cliche we've used before to describe the Bucs. It certainly fits.

The only remaining issue is whether Rich McKay will stay on as GM. Jon Gruden said in today's press conference he looked forward to working with McKay and hoped that things would work themselves out. The fact that McKay was not at today's press conference lead many to believe the McKay will decide to leave Tampa Bay. These are exciting times for the franchise and it would be great to have McKay a part of a promising future.