Gruden May Become the Next Big Thing

Adam Markowitz
Monday February 15, 2010

lright, I'll be honest with you... When I heard that some semblance of "arena football" was really coming back, the first words that were uttered out of my mouth were, "Oh god, how is Gruden gonna eff this team up this year?"

Alas, since the AFL is no more and this AFL-like substance known as the AF1 is set to take over in a couple month, I vow that a kinder, gentler Guru will be seen here at ArenaFan...

... And if you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you in California...

But seriously now, the news out of Orlando that former Orlando Predators head coach and quarterback Jay Gruden was going to become the second head coach in the history of the UFL's Florida Tuskers may be a sign that one of the old AFL's biggest icons is set to really become a tremendous name in the football coaching world. How ironic that this comes just weeks after the last AFL superstar that made it big, QB Kurt Warner, decided to retire after a decade and a half of abuse to his body over various football leagues and a number of concussions?

There are about a million moments in Gruden's career, both as a coach and a player that one could point at as amazing moments. His best as a coach might've been getting that Gatorade bath in 1998 when he brought the Preds into the Ice Palace and knocked off his former team, the Tampa Bay Storm in the ArenaBowl. Maybe it was in 2006 when he was named the fourth greatest player in AFL history. How about his five championships as the quarterback of the Storm?

Not for me, though. All of those moments were great, but my best Gruden moment came in the 2008 season, when he was caught on radio after Orlando's win over the Utah Blaze saying, "At the end of the [first] half, we worked the clock because Adam Markowitz told me to." This all came before the game in which he promised me that he would resign on the spot if the Preds gave up 11 touchdowns that night... they gave up nine.

(Adam Markowitz was too busy sulking at the fact the Orlando came up just two TDs allowed from Gruden resigning. He was unavailable for comment after the game.)

But back to the serious side of this article for just a moment, if I may. How many guys can say that they won an ArenaBowl with Connell Maynor playing quarterback? What about one with Pat O'Hara QBing? No disrespect to those guys, but let's be real here... Maynor and O'Hara aren't exactly names like Grieb, Bonner, and Gruden here. Even though Coach Gruden didn't lay the foundation for success in Orlando, he built upon everything that was left to him by the team's previous man in charge, Perry Moss.

When the AFL for all intents and purposes died, I for one, thought that the name "Gruden" had died with it. After all, Jay's brother, Jon was about set to get canned by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and I was convinced that the younger Gruden was never going to get another chance again.

Enter the UFL.

The upstart league brought in four very well-known NFL coaches to lead its four teams. Jim Haslett, a defense mastermind, was the man tabbed with the job of the Orlando Tuskers. He brought aboard Gruden to lead his offense. Not only was Gruden able to take an offense led by Brooks Bollinger to a perfect 6-0 record, but he was also able to find some scoring in a league which was largely known for its ugly, disorganized football.

The Tuskers scored at least 24 points in all of their regular season games, averaging 30.5 points per game. Orlando's 183 points was more points than both the California Redwoods and New York Sentinels scored for the entire season combined by a comfortable three TDs.

When Haslett left the Tuskers to become a coordinator for the Washington Redskins, Gruden immediately began politicking for the position even though it was becoming apparent that the Predators were going to be around in some capacity in 2010. He got his way, and was deservedly handed the reins to Orlando's UFL franchise.

Gruden has already proven that he can bring a winner to Orlando, and now he's going to get his chance to prove it in the outdoor game. If the Tuskers can have a year in 2010 like they did in 2009, it may not be too much longer before we're talking about another Gruden getting a chance to become a head coach in the NFL.

Hey Coach, don't forget about your favorite clock manager when you make the big time.