Jon Gruden’s push to become a college football coach may have to wait a little longer. Gruden has been floated as a potential candidate at several top programs.
The current list of college football teams hiring a new head coach includes Penn State, Florida, LSU, Arkansas, Virginia Tech and Auburn among others. Gruden has not so subtly hinted about his desire to coach an SEC program.
The longtime NFL coach was once listed among the favorites to land the Arkansas job. Now, it appears Gruden is no longer in the running to be the next Arkansas coach.
On3’s Pete Nakos reported that Gruden is not a candidate at Arkansas.
“The Razorbacks are also working with a candidate pool that is in the mix for other openings; nine power conference schools are actively looking for their next head coach,” Nakos wrote in a November 13, 2025, story titled, “Arkansas coaching search intel: Update on search for Sam Pittman’s replacement.”
“One name that sources have told On3 is not a factor in this search, at this point, is former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, who has publicly expressed a desire to get back into coaching.”
Let’s dive into Gruden’s future amid the ongoing college football rumors.
Virginia Tech & Stanford Are Among the Additional Options to Hire Jon Gruden in College Football Rumors
Despite his desire to join the SEC, there does not appear to be any early traction with Gruden and the vacancies at LSU, Florida or Auburn. There is still plenty of time for things to change given growing list of vacancies.
Gruden was once listed at sportsbooks as the favorite to be Virginia Tech’s next coach, but James Franklin has emerged as the new top candidate after being fired at Penn State.
Could Stanford hire another former NFL coach after Frank Reich? Gruden working alongside Andrew Luck could make some sense.
Arkansas Linked to Several Top Group of 5 Coaches, Including Tulane’s Jon Sumrall
With Gruden out of the picture, where does Arkansas turn for their next coach? Arkansas could look to poach one of the top Group of Five coaches like Tulane’s Jon Sumrall or Memphis’ Ryan Silverfield, per Nakos.
“Sources across the industry have told On3 that Tulane’s Jon Sumrall, USF’s Alex Golesh, Memphis’ Ryan Silverfield and North Texas’ Eric Morris are names to know,” Nakos added. “There’s also been interest in former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald and Minnesota’s PJ Fleck.”
Jon Gruden Among the Top Candidates To Be Named the Next Giants Coach
A return to the NFL could be more practical for Gruden, but things ended in an email scandal during his time with the Las Vegas Raiders. Gruden is listed among the early contenders to be the next New York Giants head coach. DraftKings listed Gruden’s chances to land the Giants job at +1400, well behind former Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy who is the favorite at +700.
“The only reason I really came here is I want to coach again,” Gruden noted during an August appearance with the Georgia football team, per CBS Sports. “I’m being honest with you, I do not (expletive), either.
“I want to coach again. I’d die to coach in the SEC. I would love it. I would (expletive) love it.”
Time will tell if another SEC program will come calling. For now, Gruden’s push to land an SEC gig appears to be wishful thinking.
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