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Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden is joining Barstool Sports, company founder and president Dave Portnoy confirmed by sharing a video of Gruden breaking down his 'Spider 2 Y Banana' play with other Barstool employees.
Portnoy's confirmation came after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Gruden, 61, a former colleague during his tenure as a Monday Night Football analyst from 2009 to 2017, agreed to a multiyear deal.
"Former Buccaneers and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has signed a multi-year deal with Barstool Sports," Schefter wrote on his X account.
Gruden's exact role with the sports and entertainment website hasn't yet been publicly revealed.
“You guys want to learn some football? Seriously, do you? Alright, let’s pound the rock," Gruden said in the announcement video.
Gruden resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders on October 11, 2021, after a New York Times report published that same day revealed that he used misogynistic and anti-gay language in numerous emails during a seven-year span beginning in 2011. Gruden released a statement obtained by Schefter that same night regarding his departure: "I have resigned as Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone."
The NFL reportedly sent the Raiders additional past emails sent by Gruden to review after another older email sent by the coach using a racist comment in reference to NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith, who is Black, surfaced prior to Gruden's resignation
Gruden sent emails to then-Washington Football Team president Bruce Allen and others between 2011-2018, which included accusing NFL commissioner Roger Goodell of pressuring then-Rams head coach Jeff Fisher to draft "queers" in reference to the team selecting Michael Sam, an openly gay player, in 2014, The Times reported. Gruden also used an anti-gay slur on several occasions when discussing Goodell, as well as offensive language to describe some league owners, coaches and NFL media members.
Gruden also reportedly denounced the emergence of female NFL referees and called for safety Eric Reid, who took a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, to be fired in the emails, according to the Times.
Gruden also reportedly responded to an article link related to NFL players seeking Commissioner Goodell's support in their ongoing effort to promote racial equality and criminal justice reform with an email stating: "He needs to hide in his concussion protocol tent."
Gruden was employed by ESPN and served as a lead analyst during the network's Monday Night Football broadcasts at the time of the emails mentioned in the Times' report.
"The comments are clearly repugnant under any circumstance," ESPN said in a statement.
Gruden's emails were brought to light amid the NFL's investigation into workplace misconduct within the Washington Football Team, with league spokesman Brian McCarthy stating, "the league was informed of the existence of emails that raised issues beyond the scope of that investigation," ESPN reported at the time.
Senior NFL executives reportedly reviewed more than 650,000 emails during the investigation, which included ones between Gruden and Allen, before the league sent relevant emails to the Raiders for review. Gruden had previously coached the Raiders from 1998 to 2001, when he was traded during the following offseason to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, immediately leading the Bucs to their first Super Bowl title in franchise history against his former team.
Gruden was fired by Tampa Bay in 2008, joining the Monday Night Football broadcast team the following season. The 60-year-old was re-hired by the then-Oakland Raiders in 2018, agreeing to a 10-year, $100 million contract.