Bring on the #Grumors.



Tennessee finally pulled the plug on Butch Jones Sunday after a disastrous 50-17 loss to Missouri. Jones recruited well during his five years at Tennessee but never capitalized on a down SEC East and didn't endear himself to the Vols fanbase with hokey sayings like "Champions of Life."



Now, the attention turns to "Monday Night Football" analyst Jon Gruden, long the object of Tennessee fan affection. Gruden, who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, pops up every time Tennessee has a job opening, and this year is no different. With Jones officially out, expect the Gruden rumors to be in full force.



Why is Gruden so associated with Tennessee openings? Fans usually point to the fact he previously worked as a Tennessee graduate assistant, his wife, Cindy, is a former Tennessee cheerleader and he has a son who is currently a student at UT. The rumors picked up steam in October when he visited his son and attended the Tennessee-South Carolina game.



It's more than that, though.



Gruden previously told school administrators that Tennessee is one of only three college jobs he'd ever take, according to a source. He's indicated real interest when Tennessee has reached out in the past but couldn't walk away from the lucrative deal he has with ESPN. Gruden is reportedly making at least $6.5 million annually for a job that requires considerably less work than what it'd take to get Tennessee back on top.



That seems to be the hang-up for Gruden who has a legitimate itch to return to coaching, according to industry sources. He's done nothing to pretend he doesn't, either, recently telling Rich Eisen, "one of these days, you never know."



"I have talked to people in years past," Gruden said. "I plan on keeping my options open. If something comes along down the road, we'll take a look at it."



He has already been mentioned as a possible candidate for NFL head coaching jobs including returning to the Bucs if Dirk Koetter is fired. The challenge for any organization, whether it's the Tennessee Volunteers or Titans, is getting Gruden to give up a highly paid, enjoyable job -- one that the pragmatic side of him knows can't be beat -- to embrace his love of coaching a team again.

It's a good bet that Tennessee will again at least gauge Gruden's interest in the job. However, even if Gruden says he's interested, expect Tennessee to do real due diligence on how he plans to be successful at the college level given he's never recruited before. While fans may view Gruden as a program savior, the 54-year old ESPN analyst is not seen that way internally or around college football circles. Gruden's name alone doesn't guarantee success; he'd need a strong staff to help him navigate unfamiliar waters in the highly competitive world of SEC recruiting. He said this summer that college football had "too many rules" and he'd "probably have you in real deep, deep trouble if I was your college coach."

Beyond the recruiting questions, he hasn't coached a game since 2008 and last worked at the college level in 1991. It's why Gruden to Tennessee really isn't analogous to Alabama hiring Nick Saban away from the Miami Dolphins despite the comparisons. Saban had already won a national championship at LSU before returning to the college level at Alabama.

Assuming Gruden isn't the guy -- sources still don't expect him to land at Tennessee for a multitude of reasons -- look for Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen to be a serious candidate. No one has done more with less in the SEC than Mullen who has built a respectable program in Starkville. While Mullen's name has been linked to the Florida opening because of his connection to athletic director Scott Stricklin, industry sources believe there's a better chance he ends up in Knoxville. Mississippi State pays Mullen very well -- $4.5 million plus up to $1.15 million in bonuses according to USA Today Sports -- but he could jump at a chance to guide a program with more resources and history in the easier of the two SEC divisions. He's a well-known QB developer, he's still only 45 despite nine seasons as an SEC head coach and has the right mindset to go head-to-head against Kirby Smart's ascendant Georgia program.

John Talty is the college sports editor for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @JTalty.