Born to Jim and Kathy Gruden on August 17, 1963 in Sandusky, Ohio, Jon grew up with Roman Catholic faith. His father’s later service was related to Tampa Bay Bucs, and his brother Jay is a football coach, hence giving Jon an amicable environment to grow up in the field of sports. Jon graduated from Clay High School, South Bend, Indiana in the year 1981. He attended the Muskingum College, Ohio and then the University of Dayton only to receive a Bachelor’s degree in Communications in the year 1985. During this period he played for The Flyers as a letterman and backup.
Gruden stepped in to the field of coaching as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee. He then went on to be a coach for a few handful universities and states, until in the year 1992 he entered the field of Professional coaching for Green bay Packers to be their offensive assistant coach. Next he was deployed as the offensive coordinator of Philadelphia Eagles. Gruden’s very first job as a head coach was for the Oakland Ridersfor the season of 1988. Jon was popularly known to be as ‘Chucky.’ Gruden in the year 2002, went on to be the head coach of Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was hired by them on a contract of five years (2002-2008) for a whooping sum of 17.5 million USD. The Tampa Bay under his coaching won the Super Bowl XXXVII. This win is also remarkable because it made Jon (age at that time: 39 years, 5 months and 9 days), the youngest ever head coach to take his team to victory.
Jon, was fired by the Tampa Bay on January 16, 2009 and after which he formed an association of fired Football coaches, in a rented office at Tampa Strip mall.
Gruden then ventured into a career in Broadcasting in the year 2009, he started off with ESPN on the show, ‘Monday Night Football’ as a color analyst. He also served ESPN radio on the 2010 Rose Bowl and 2011 BCS National Championship Game; and the ESPN television on the 2011 Orange Bowl and Outback Bowl. A 2012 series by Gruden under the name ‘Jon Gruden’s QB Camp,’ covered the progress of NFL with the NFL draftees at the quarterback. ESPN found Jon Gruden an efficient and impactful sports analyst and it was only in September 2012 when ESPN extended his contract for five years and re-extended it to the year 2021.
Jon Gruden is a married man; he tied the knot with his wife Cindy Gruden in the year 1991. They were childhood sweethearts from the University of Tennessee, where Jon played football and Cindy was a cheerleader. The couple bonded there love after several dates and outings, they are still madly in love with each other, creating magic in their lives and their four children.
Gruden, although in his 52nd year of life looks fit and charming as ever. He cares about his fans and patiently responds to their queries over Twitter and Instagram. His annual salary is a handsome amount of 6.5 million Dollars and estimated net worth about $22.5 million.