On Sunday, the Indiana Hoosiers officially announced that they were parting ways with head coach Tom Allen, firing him after eight years leading the program. And as the program searches for his replacement, it sounds like a rather surprising name has emerged as a potential candidate: former NFL head coach Jon Gruden.
As college football insider Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reports, Jon Gruden is “a big wildcard candidate” and he has “support from some key IU folks.”
“Among the Indiana coaching candidates to replace Tom Allen: South Alabama’s Kane Wommack, Bama OC Tommy Rees, Ohio State OL coach Justin Frye, and a big wildcard candidate who has support with some key IU folks: Jon Gruden,” Feldman wrote in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly know as Twitter.
Among the Indiana coaching candidates to replace Tom Allen: South Alabama's Kane Wommack, Bama OC Tommy Rees, Ohio State OL coach Justin Frye, and a big wildcard candidate who has support with some key IU folks: Jon Gruden. https://t.co/1OJ7X2ODLRhttps://t.co/1OJ7X2ODLR
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 27, 2023
It’s pretty shocking news that he could be considered for a college football opening, and the sports world had a lot to say about it on social media as a result.
oh no https://t.co/N1otmwQwmf
— ¡BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL! (@edsbs) November 27, 2023
It’s not coaching silly season until the GRUMORS hit https://t.co/dAN4QwIU7O
— Bunkie Perkins (@BunkiePerkins) November 27, 2023
This guy cannot be serious (yes, I was there for the bizarre Gruden press conference). https://t.co/SRSdkPlgxl
— taylor from bite-sized bison (@ByTaylorL) November 27, 2023
GRUMORS? https://t.co/xDXxTChXFT
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) November 27, 2023
grumor season has inexplicably returned https://t.co/ohqkQ9VqAx
— Brian Floyd (@BrianMFloyd) November 27, 2023
I am now an Indiana donor. https://t.co/tkZM9wIUd6
— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) November 27, 2023
Never knew how badly I wanted Gruden to be the Indiana coach until right now. https://t.co/P5O2RAWU2l
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) November 27, 2023
Gruden most recently coached for the Las Vegas Raiders, but he resigned from his position in October of 2021 after news surfaced that he sent emails containing racist, misogynistic, and homophobic slurs.
We’ll have to see if Indiana decides to give him another chance at coaching.
[Bruce Feldman]
