Oakland Raiders: Could Jon Gruden possibly be headed back to the Black Hole?

The Oakland Raiders have boasted some of the most famous head coaches of all time. From Al Davis himself to John Madden to Tom Flores all of the way up to Jon Gruden. The problem is, the Raiders have not had a coach who has lasted more than a couple of years since Gruden left the Raiders to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not surprisingly, almost every year since he stopped coaching in the NFL, Jon Gruden's name has been involved in a flurry of rumors over what job might bring him back out of the commentators booth. This year, his name has been linked to everything from the University of Tennessee job to the Philadelphia Eagles job. Now, his name is even being mentioned in association with his former team, the Oakland Raiders.

Despite beating their team in the Super Bowl, most Raiders fans have longed to see Gruden back on the sidelines at the Oakland Coliseum. And while the article hypothesizes a front office job rather than a head coaching job, I am sure there would still be plenty of excitement in Oakland to see the return of Chuckie. This, however, is a long shot.

This article is probably the only piece of news on the internet connecting Gruden with the Raiders, and even they refer to the rumor as "scuttlebutt". Besides that, it would create havoc because unless Mark Davis decides to fire general manager, Reggie McKenzie, there would be a power struggle over football operations between the two. The article notes that the two worked together in Green Bay, but that does not change the fact that both would want the final say on football operations and you can't have two bosses.

Unfortunately for the Raider Nation, it is highly unlikely that Jon Gruden will return to the Black Hole. I don't see McKenzie cutting Dennis Allen loose after one season, only to install a head coach with the stature of a Gruden, who might threaten his power in the general manager's position. Similarly, I don't see Mark Davis firing McKenzie after only one year, nor do I see him creating a general manager controversy by hiring Gruden while McKenzie is still there. But hey, it's fun to dream.