Gruden out at Tampa Bay, likes Notre Dame Victory March

Jon Gruden was hit from his blindside Friday when the Glazer family gave him the pink slip as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It’s too early to determine what precipitated this stunning development, weeks after the conclusion of the regular season, although the fact that the Buccaneers faded drastically down the stretch and fumbled away a wild card berth they seemingly had in their grasp a few weeks earlier might have had something to do with it. But this has “power struggle” written all over it.

Also being shown the door was general manager Bruce Allen, the son of the legendary George Allen. Allen and Gruden worked together in Oakland and after Gruden was “traded” to Tampa Bay, he suggested to the Glazers that they hire Allen as the Bucs’ GM after the 2003 season.

Gruden won a Super Bowl during his first season at the helm in Tampa Bay and that made him the youngest coach ever to win the Super Bowl. Gruden’s Bucs beat his former team, the Raiders, in San Diego in that game.

What’s next for Gruden? Radio personalities and chat rooms in St. Louis are already clamoring for Rams GM Billy Devaney to inquire about Gruden as the team’s next head coach.

If Devaney were to pick up the phone and call up Gruden’s agent Bob LaMonte (who also happens to represent Steve Spagnuolo, a finalist in St. Louis), I have a hunch that Gruden and LaMonte might say, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Why? I have two words for you.

Notre Dame.

If the Fighting Irish don’t improve drastically under Charlie Weis’ watch in 2009, you can bet Gruden’s name comes up as a candidate, so it makes sense for Gruden to take a year off. Gruden’s father Jim was an assistant coach under Dan Devine at Notre Dame in the 1970s and Jon Gruden is fond of his formative years spent in South Bend, Ind.

Gruden once told Playboy magazine in an 2003 interview: “I lost my virginity to the Notre Dame fight song,” he said. Playboy asked, “There was a band?” Gruden replied, “No, not even music. But it was in my mind.”

As for Gruden’s replacement in Tampa? The Glazer family must have someone in mind to make this drastic of a move this late in the game. Raheem Morris, only 32 years of age and recently elevated to defensive coordinator, is thought to be a rising star in the coaching ranks and could be tabbed to keep some continuity.

Another possibility is Mike Shanahan. Since Allen was also fired, the Bucs could also give Shanahan the final say in all football matters and allow him to bring in his own general manager or personnel man.

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