Former NFL Coach Jon Gruden to Join Monday Night Football

Known for his intensity, the myriad faces he makes on the sidelines, being a dead ringer for the horror film doll "Chucky" and, oh yeah, being a good NFL football coach, Jon Gruden will make the switch from the NFL sidelines to the Monday Night Football broadcast booth next year. Gruden, who was fired from his job as the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after finishing up last season with four consecutive losses that kept the Bucs from the playoffs. Having coached for 11 years, including with the Oakland Raiders from 1998 – 2001 and the Bucs from 2202 – 2008, Gruden wouldn’t commit to staying out of the NFL as a coach.

Said Gruden, "Maybe I can hand in and keep this job for a while." He later added that, "I dearly miss coaching." Gruden will be replacing Tony Kornheiser in the booth and joining Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski. Kornheiser will continue to appear on ESPN’s "Pardon the Interruption," and it was his decision to leave Monday Night Football. Said Kornheiser of the move, "My fear of planes is legendary and sadly true. When I looked at the upcoming schedule it was the perfect storm that would’ve frequently moved me from the bus to the air."

Kornheiser went on to say, "If I could handpick a replacement of a football guy, I would cast a net and drag in Jon Gruden. He is the two things you most want: smart and funny, and has the two things I don’t – good hair and a tan."