Jon Gruden: My Brother Jay Is The Better Coach
Jon Gruden is seen as one of the most astute judges of talent in all of football, and the Super Bowl winning coach turned analyst just gave his stamp of approval to the new Washington Redskins coach.
That coach just happens to be his brother, Jay.
Speaking at a banquet to honor Redskins legend Joe Gibbs, Jon Gruden said his brother is better at pretty much every aspect of football.
“I have a lot of faults,” Jon Gruden said. “You know, he was a lot better player than I was. He’s a lot better coach. I couldn’t take care of my emotions. I’m still a basket case. They called me Chucky, so I think you get my drift.”
But Jay Gruden was complimentary of his brother as well, saying that his brother is more laid back, at least on the surface.
“We’re both very competitive,” Jay Gruden said. “We love to win, we love football, and that runs in the family I guess. Football runs in our blood and we love to compete. We love to win, and we’ll do whatever it takes to do that.”
Jon Gruden’s recommendation could mean a lot to Redskins fans. After a disastrous end to Mike Shanahan’s tenure, in which the team failed to capitalize on a playoff run the previous year and played out the end of the season rife with dysfunction, Jay Gruden brings a measure of optimism to fans.
Gibbs also believes that Jay Gruden will succeed in Washington.
“No advice! I give no advice to Jay!” Gibbs joked. “He’s gonna do great. The only thing I would help him with is Washington and what it’s all about. But I told him when he first got the job, I talked to him that first day and I just said you’re gonna love it. I said it’s the greatest place in the world to coach, it’s the greatest sports franchise in the world, and I said you’re gonna love Dan Snyder.”
While Jay Gruden takes over one of the biggest markets in the NFL, his brother Jon Gruden has consistently turned down rumors that he’s making a return to the NFL. For the past several seasons, Jon’s name has been mentioned whenever a high-profile NFL job came open, but late last year he spoke out to put an end to the rumors.
“I don’t want to be considered for any of these jobs,” Gruden told Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “I don’t want to be considered for anything. There are plenty of good candidates out there. I’m just sick for the guys who can no longer coach their teams. … I’m hoping to do the best I can to hang on to my job.”
Jon Gruden may now be on the sidelines again, but he won’t be far, either. He is signed on for the next two years as an analyst on Monday Night Football.
