jon gruden

Jon Gruden might be a target of the Cleveland Browns, a league source told The Plain Dealer on Monday.

(Photo by AP file)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - With Oregon's Chip Kelly out of the picture, the Browns might pursue Super Bowl winning coach Jon Gruden, a league source told The Plain Dealer today.

That would make folks get over Kelly pretty quickly, no?



Gruden, 49, is a native of Sandusky, Ohio, and played quarterback at the University of Dayton. He also has ties to Browns owner Jimmy Haslam from his time as a graduate assistant at Tennessee in 1985-86. His wife, Cindy, is a former University of Tennessee cheerleader.

Earlier this season, Haslam denied a report by WREG-TV in Memphis, Tenn., that he offered Gruden a stake in the Browns if he'd coach the Volunteers.

If Haslam decides to go after Gruden, he would have to lure him out of his comfortable seat in ESPN's Monday Night Football booth and as an ESPN analyst. Gruden signed a five-year extension with ESPN in September and has said he loves his job. Friends say he'll only leave the booth for the ideal situation.

Gruden, who is 100-85 overall (5-4 in playoffs) in 11 seasons as a head coach, was fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2008 season following seven years with the team. He went 57-55 with the Bucs in the regular season, and 3-2 in the playoffs, including a defeat over the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII after the 2002 season.

Gruden also coached the Raiders for four seasons, going 38-26, including 2-2 in the playoffs.

The Browns are also expected to interview Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman and Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, according to Jason Cole of Yahoo.com. Arians was released from the hospital today and will begin interviewing for head coach vacancies this week, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Eagles and Bears will also interview him.

If the Browns don't interview Gruden, it probably won't be for a lack of asking.