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Could Jon Gruden Be the Next Coach to Go?

Posted Dec 29, 2008 11:45AM By Adam Gretz (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Buccaneers, NFL Coaching

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The holiday season doesn't bring good tidings for everybody. Just ask those head coaches who are spending the New Year cleaning out their offices.

Four weeks ago, this question probably wouldn't be asked. Then again, four weeks ago the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were tied for the top spot in the NFC South at 9-3 and looking like a playoff lock. Today, four weeks later, the Buccaneers find themselves at 9-7, out of the playoffs, and trying to figure out how in the hell they lost four games in a row, including a must-win game, at home, against the Oakland Raiders. Ouch.

Following the Buccaneers' latest defeat, capping off one of the league's top choke jobs of the 2008 season, it seems that head coach Jon Gruden is finding himself on a bit of a hot seat, at least in the eyes of Tampa Tribune columnist Joe Henderson. He writes that the Buccaneers' ownership -- the Glazer family -- has "a responsibility to view this season with cold-blooded detachment – starting with the head coach." Translation: might be time for a change. And while he doesn't come out and say Gruden must be fired, he at least gets the ball rolling in that general direction, calling for some sort of change, whether it be with the head coach, the general manager or the overall attitude of the franchise.

Henderson compares the Buccaneers' latest run of mediocrity to the not-so-similar run of mediocrity that ultimately cost Tony Dungy his job following the 2001 season. I suppose that's a fine comparison, though the major difference between the two situations is the fact Dungy's shortcomings actually came in the playoffs. Gruden's teams not only fail to win in the playoffs, they've failed to consistently make the playoffs. So, if you're going to fire a guy for failing to win in the playoffs, it only seems natural that you might make a change when the latest head coach doesn't even make the playoffs.

In Gruden's first year in Tampa Bay, the franchise claimed its first Super Bowl title under his leadership -- and as critics would say, Tony Dungy's players. Though, I say, he still did what Dungy couldn't do in Tampa -- defeating Oakland in dominating fashion. Since then, however, it's been downhill for the Buccaneers, as they've failed to win a playoff game in the following six years, failing to make the playoffs in four of those years.

Even worse, as Henderson points out, the Buccaneers -- following the Super Bowl win -- are a Tony Romo-like 10-18 in the month of December under Gruden, and six games under .500 overall. Yeah, that's not good.

The latest disappointing season ends with four straight losses -- two of which came at home to teams with losing records at the time -- due in large part to the failings of their once rock-solid defense. Over the final four weeks, the Buccaneers gave up 123 points and an incredible 1,544 total yards of offense, including 756 on the ground.

You're already going to be replacing the defensive coordinator -- though not by choice -- so perhaps now would be an opportunity to totally clean house, get a fresh start, turn the page, go in another direction, or whatever other cliche you wish to insert here.

Tags: 08coachingchanges, Jon+Gruden, JonGruden, Tony+Dungy, Tony+Romo, TonyDungy, TonyRomo

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