Jon Gruden likes what he sees from Arkansas coach

Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden speaks to the Little Rock Touchdown Club on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Little Rock.

LITTLE ROCK — Fans of Arkansas Razorbacks football Coach Sam Pittman apparently extend east to at least Tampa, Fla.

Former NFL head coach and television football analyst Jon Gruden spoke to media representatives and a Little Rock Touchdown Club audience at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Little Rock on Tuesday. Gruden said he appreciated Pittman’s background as a coach of offensive linemen.

“That means he’s a grinder,” Gruden said. “He understands the line of scrimmage. He knows what it takes to knock somebody off the ball, the different ways of attacking different fronts, the fundamentals, the techniques. The way these Arkansas Razorbacks run the football is not a coincidence.”

Pittman has coached Arkansas to records of 3-7 in 2020 and 9-4 last season, including a 24-10 victory over Penn State in the Outback Bowl. Arkansas will open its third season under Pittman when it hosts Cincinnati at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

Gruden, 59, who flew to Little Rock from his home in Tampa, resigned as head coach of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders last fall after an investigation uncovered emails from Gruden that the NFL alleged used racist, misogynistic and homophobic slurs. Gruden did not deny the allegation.

Gruden was then in his 15th season as an NFL head coach and in the fourth season of his second stint as the Raiders’ coach with a 10-year, $100 million contract. He subsequently filed a pending lawsuit that accused the NFL and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell of using leaked emails to sabotage his career. His comments before the club luncheon on both matters were limited.

“I don’t really want to say too much,” Gruden said. “I don’t really want to be involved in this, honestly. I want it to all go away. I’m sorry if I’ve offended anybody. It’s something that’s still in the news, and I want this to all be about the games and the players.”

Gruden was more candid as he spoke to Touchdown Club members and guests.

“I’m ashamed about what has come about in these emails, and I’ll make no excuses for it,” he said. “It’s shameful, but I am a good person. I believe that. I go to church. I’ve been married for 31 years. I’ve got three great boys. I still love football. I’ve made some mistakes, but I don’t think anybody in here hasn’t. And I just ask for forgiveness, and hopefully, I get another shot.”

Gruden also coached the Raiders from 1998-2001. He coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 48-21 Super Bowl victory over the Raiders after the 2002 season.

Though Gruden said he currently assists high school players and teams in the Tampa metropolitan area, he said he misses a full-time commitment to football.

“It’s tough,” he said. “It’s really tough. It’s in my blood. It’s really what I’m all about.”

He said he misses every aspect of coaching.

“I miss the journey,” Gruden said. “You know, putting a team together, developing a team, the ups and downs that football brings. I miss all that.”

Gruden’s admiration for Pittman seemed unending.

“This guy’s an outstanding coach,” he said. “He has been one a long time. His offensive-line-coach mentality is what I see when I watch his football team.”

Gruden was a color analyst for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” from 2009-17. During that run, he became the network’s highest-paid personality. He said another run as a football announcer appeals to him.

“I’ve had some good jobs, so hopefully there’s one out there for me,” Gruden said.

Before Gruden met with Touchdown Club members and the media, he was greeted by Arkansas professional golfer John Daly in the hotel lobby. Daly, of Dardanelle, won the 1991 PGA Championship as the final alternate. He also won the British Open Championship in 1995.

Gruden said he planned to stay at Daly’s home before a Razorbacks game this season.

“John Daly is one of my really good friends,” he said.

Daly said their relationship developed when Gruden coached the Buccaneers.

“He’s like Lou Holtz,” Daly said. “He’s a hell of a motivator. He really gets you fired up. He’s the best.”