Jon Gruden Joins Nashville Kats as Part-Owner and Adviser

Jon Gruden, the former head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, has officially joined the Nashville Kats as part-owner and adviser. This will be Gruden’s football revival after a scandalous departure from the NFL in 2021. The announcement comes after a year of working closely with the New Orleans Saints. He never formally joined the team.

At 61 years old, Gruden brings a wealth of experience to the Kats, a franchise with deep ties to his family. His younger brother, Jay Gruden, makes his name in the Arena Football League (AFL). He won four league titles as a player and two more as head coach in the 1990s and early 2000s. Jay eventually moved on to another sideline as an NFL head coach.

Gruden’s time with the Nashville Kats comes in the wake of recent court battles with the NFL. He resigned as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2021 season. This decision was made after emails he’d sent prior to his hiring were uncovered. Most noteworthy were these emails’ racist, anti-gay, and misogynistic comments which led to public outcry and his eventual resignation.

After his resignation, Gruden subsequently filed a lawsuit against the NFL, accusing them of interfering with his contract and conspired to do so. Unfortunately, earlier this month a three-justice panel of the Nevada Supreme Court sided with the NFL. This ruling gives the league a greater ability to force Gruden’s civil case from state court into private arbitration. Gruden has since appealed this decision, and the full seven-person court will be taking up the case.

Even with all these challenges, Gruden is excited about his new position with the Nashville Kats. The investor group is led by former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher. He is the president of the Kats and the commissioner of AF1.

Gruden expressed his admiration for Fisher’s contributions to football, stating, “I have so much respect for what Jeff has done over his career and continues to do with the Nashville Kats and as commissioner of AF1. I’m excited to be part of the team.”