Why Jon Gruden Would Be a Perfect Fit To Coach the Florida Gators

Jon Gruden is talking to the wrong SEC team. The Florida Gators are 3-7. That is a far cry from the dynasty they once were. They won national titles in 1996, 2006, and 2008. That gives them a much better history than the Arkansas Razorbacks, a team he is also taking. That’s not the only reason it’s the wrong school, though.

The Gators Have a Better Recruiting Pipeline

Gruden is made for college-style recruiting. We’ve seen how well he gets along with players and how charismatic he is. His massive and extremely friendly personality is what helped make him a Super Bowl champion and NFL coach with 100 wins in the league.

It also made him such a successful announcer and TV presenter for a decade. His high energy is made for visiting recruits at home and selling them on his vision. From that perspective, the swampland of the Gators is a much better location for recruiting than the home of the Arkansas Razorbacks. Florida is a football haven for elite recruits. The state has produced the most five-star recruits out of any state from 2011 to 2021. No state has a player pool like Florida.

Positives Of the Arkansas Job

You could say that Arkansas has a couple of advantages when it comes to recruiting, like being closer to two of the three biggest states for recruits, Texas and California. Plus, the Gators are in a state full of competition from other colleges. Like Florida State, Miami (FL), and UCF. Arkansas is all by itself when it comes to elite competition. But even then, it’s much better to be in the state than right outside it.

If Gruden brings his excellent management and offensive tactics to improve the Gators as soon as he comes in, he can catch up to Miami (FL). Then he can surpass them and become the Florida team, making the CFP and going to the SEC Championship Game.

History and Freedom

Both SEC schools need a visionary to take the reins and give the schools a path to greatness. They both would gladly give a Super Bowl-winning coach everything they need to build the program in their image.

If Gruden wants an easier job and better odds to win a title, the Gators should be his new home. The Razorbacks’ only claimed national title came in 1964, and while three isn’t that much better than one, the Gators have some distinct differences.

UF has won more recently. It means the people who were a part of that success, or at least were there to observe and understand their success, are still there. They could help Gruden build the Gators back up.

Is Gruden a Fit For the College Game?

In the NIL era, people assume that ex-NFL coaches or players would be best suited to handle the new transfer windows and challenges that come with college football. But there have been mixed results. Deion Sanders in Colorado started promising, but they’re not making a bowl game this year, and Bill Belichick’s time at UNC was a circus before it started.

Gruden’s unique experience of NFL and TV success gives him a different profile than most and makes him perfect for the modern-day college football.