Jon Gruden resigns as coach of Las Vegas Raiders

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Sep 19, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden looks at his play chart against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. Las Vegas won 26-17. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Gruden has resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, he confirmed in a statement Monday night.

The news of Gruden stepping down came just an hour after the New York Times reported on offensive emails where he used misogynistic and homophobic language over a seven-year span ending in early 2018.

On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Gruden made a racist comment in a 2011 email while referencing NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith.

“I have resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders," Gruden said in a statement. "I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.”

Owner Mark Davis followed up with this statement: "I have accepted Jon Gruden's resignation as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders."

Gruden’s emails were discovered by the NFL as part of its investigation into workplace misconduct at the Washington Football Team. The NFL reportedly sent the emails to the Raiders, and the league was monitoring how the team would handle the matter.

Assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia will take over as interim head coach of the Raiders. Bisaccia is in his fourth season with the organization. He has over 19 years of NFL experience as a special teams coordinator, spending time with the Buccaneers (2002-10), Chargers (2012-13), Cowboys (2013-17) and Raiders.

Gruden signed a 10-year deal for roughly $100 million to become head coach of the Raiders in 2018. Gruden, who also coached Oakland from 1998 to 2001, was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2002 to 2008, winning Super Bowl XXXVII in his first season with the team. After being fired by the Buccaneers in 2009, Gruden became the lead analyst on ESPN's Monday Night Football.

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