Josh Pate speculates how SEC team’s fans would react to hiring Jon Gruden
By Andrew Olson
Published:
It’s starting to feel like Grumors season again. Jon Gruden has the college football world talking after stating, “I’d die to coach in the SEC” following a visit to Georgia.
College football analyst Josh Pate recently pondered how one SEC fabase would react to Gruden being hired as the next head coach. Pate compared Arkansas hiring Gruden to the basketball program bringing in John Calipari last year.
“If you’re sitting there in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Jon Gruden is announced as your new head coach… You think Cal did something for basketball juice in Northwest Arkansas? Imagine what hiring Jon Gruden does,” Pate said. “I’m asking you, I’m really asking you, what is it that it takes to win in college football that he doesn’t bring to the table? Because I think he’d surround himself with an excellent staff. I think folks would want to coach with Jon Gruden.”
Pate strongly believes Gruden will be a college football coach in the future.
“What is it that it takes to win in college football that Jon Gruden lacks?” Pate asked. “If you doubt him, if you think if he gets hired it’ll be a joke, what is it that it takes to win that he lacks? Because I’m going to tell you what I think it takes to win.
“I think you’ve got to be able to hire. I think you’ve got to be able to acquire talent. In the NFL that means drafting and free agency. In college football, that means recruiting and portal and free agency. Can you develop players? In college football, are you flexible? Can you roll with the changes? Because that has been eternal lately in this sport.”
Based on initial interest in Gruden’s comments, Grumors are likely to start up at any SEC program with its coach on the hot seat. Pate isn’t alone in thinking that could lead “Chucky” to Fayetteville. SDS columnist David Wasson ranked Arkansas as the most likely SEC team to hire the Super Bowl-winning coach, followed by Mississippi State, Auburn and Kentucky.
While Gruden made his SEC interest clear, it’s unknown if that applies to all 16 programs. Pate believes fans of any team looking for a coach would be thrilled to have Gruden as the next head coach.
“I guarantee you I know about 90% of the fan bases in the country would be very open to Jon Gruden becoming their coach, and the 10% who wouldn’t be open to it have great head coaches already, so they don’t need it,” Pate said.
“Which jobs would he take is the question. To me, Jon Gruden’s going to get a head coaching job, okay? I’m putting that out there. I think Jon Gruden’s going to be a college football head coach. It’s not about which programs would offer him the job. There are a bunch of them out there who will offer him the job. I believe the question is, which programs would Jon Gruden be open to taking the job at? Which jobs appeal to him?”
It looks like Grumors are just getting started.
Jon Gruden will be a College Football head coach pic.twitter.com/VdJnjOvdIX
— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) August 11, 2025
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
