Saturday, January 06, 2018

Jon Gruden to return to Raiders

for $100 million.

The Oakland Raiders will sign Jon Gruden to one of the longest coaching deals in NFL history -- a 10-year contract likely approaching $100 million -- when it is made official Tuesday, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Friday.

The length of Gruden's contract is not unprecedented. The Dallas Cowboys gave Jimmy Johnson (in 1989) and Tom Landry (in 1964) 10-year deals as well.

The Raiders have called a significant news conference for Tuesday, at which time they will introduce Gruden as the team's next coach, a league source confirmed to ESPN.

Gruden, who coached Oakland from 1998 to 2001 and has been working as an ESPN analyst, is returning to the Raiders to replace Jack Del Rio, who was fired after the regular-season finale Sunday.

Gruden will work under general manager Reggie McKenzie, who has turned down a request to interview for the Green Bay Packers' GM opening and is expected to remain with the Raiders, sources told ESPN.

Gruden will become the 12th head coach since 1960 to have multiple stints with one team, and the 16-year gap between jobs with the Raiders is the largest in NFL history for a head coach with the same team.

He had a regular-season record of 38-26 during his first stop with the Raiders and went 2-2 in two postseason appearances prior to being traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two first-round picks, two second-round picks and $8 million in 2012.

He won Super Bowl XXXVII in his first season with Tampa Bay, and he has a career 95-81 record in the regular season while going 5-4 in the postseason.

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