Jon Gruden hopes he’s a candidate to return for a second stint as coach of the Oakland Raiders and believes a final decision will be made next week.
Gruden made his most specific comments about the opening in Oakland in an interview Tuesday with the Bay Area News Group . The Raiders fired coach Jack Del Rio on Sunday following a disappointing six-win season
”My understanding is they’re interviewing candidates this week and they’re going to let everybody know sometime early next week or whenever they make their decision Steven Stamkos Jersey ,” Gruden told the paper.
When asked specifically if he was a candidate, Gruden replied: ”Well, I think I am being considered, yes. I hope I’m a candidate.”
The Raiders are not commenting on the search beyond a statement issued Sunday night from owner Mark Davis thanking Del Rio for his tenure.
Gruden spent four seasons as coach in Oakland from 1998-2001. After leading the Raiders to 8-8 records his first two years, Gruden helped the team reach the AFC title game following the 2000 season and got Oakland back into the playoffs the following season.
Gruden’s tenure ended shortly after the ”Tuck Rule” loss to the New England Patriots when he was traded the following month to Tampa Bay for two first-round draft picks, two second-rounders and $8 million.
Gruden beat the Raiders in the Super Bowl in his first season with the Buccaneers but didn’t win another playoff game for Tampa Bay in his final six seasons. He has a 95-81 career record.
Gruden has spent the past nine seasons working as an announcer for ESPN and is scheduled to work the playoff game Saturday in Kansas City between the Chiefs and Tennessee Titans. ESPN first reported the likelihood of Gruden returning to Oakland on the eve of the season finale that Oakland lost.
Del Rio was fired following the 30-10 defeat to the Chargers, leading to the current search.
The Raiders will be required to comply with the ”Rooney Rule” and interview at least one minority candidate or otherwise face discipline from the NFL.
John Wooten, the head of the Fritz Pollard Alliance which monitors the NFL’s minority hiring, said he is confident the Raiders will follow the rules and doesn’t consider the process a sham despite reports Gruden would get the job before it even opened.
Wooten pointed to the Raiders’ history under late owner Al Davis and his son, Mark, in hiring minority candidates, from making Art Shell the first African-American head coach in modern NFL history in 1989 and then bringing him back for a second stint in 2006.
Tom Flores was the first Hispanic coach to win a Super Bowl and the team also hired Hue Jackson as coach in 2011 and currently employs Reggie McKenzie as general manager.
”I trust the integrity of Mark Davis and Reggie and what they have done,” Pollard said. ”I trust they will follow the rule and I believe that.”
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Luis Severino became the majors’ first 12-game winner, Aaron Hicks and Didi Gregorius homered and the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-0 Tuesday night.
Severino (12-2) struck out nine in seven dominant innings, lowering his ERA to 2.10. The ace has allowed three runs or less in 16 of 17 starts.
Jake Arrieta (5-6) had another rough outing for Philadelphia, which had won four consecutive series before losing two straight to the Yankees. Arrieta gave up six runs – three earned – and nine hits in five innings.
Arrieta was 0-4 with a 6.66 ERA in five starts in June after posting a 0.90 ERA in five starts last month.
RAYS 1, NATIONALS 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Nathan Eovaldi took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before an unusual combination of relievers in the ninth completed a three-hitter as the Rays beat Max Scherzer and the Nationals.
Eovaldi (2-3) lost his no-hit bid when Bryce Harper hit an opposite-field double off the left-field wall with two outs in the sixth.
Rays lefty Jose Alvarado began the ninth by walking Harper before moving to first base when Chaz Roe relieved him. Roe struck out Anthony Rendon before Alvarado returned to the mound and gave up singles to lefties Juan Soto and Daniel Murphy that loaded the bases.
Sergio Romo replaced Alvarado and got his sixth save.
Scherzer (10-4) gave up one run, four hits, three walks and struck out four in seven innings.
CARDINALS 11, INDIANS 2
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Matt Carpenter homered twice, matched a career best with five hits and helped chase Corey Kluber in the shortest start of the right-hander’s career. Carpenter scored a career-best five runs and also drove in three.
Kluber (11-4) allowed six runs in 1 2/3 innings and has lost two of his past three decisions. He gave up six hits, including homers to Carpenter and Jose Martinez, and walked one on 48 pitches.
Prior to Tuesday, Kluber’s shortest start had been two innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013. His previous low this year was a five-inning game on June 15 against Minnesota when he took his third loss of the season.
Carlos Martinez (4-4) settled down after a rough first inning for his first victory since May 2. He had lost three straight decisions over his previous five starts. He went six innings, allowing two runs, six hits and a walk while striking out eight.
RED SOX 9, ANGELS 1
BOSTON (AP) – Mookie Betts homered on John Lamb’s first pitch of the game, and J.D. Martinez hit his major league-leading 24th home run to back David Price’s six strong innings.
Jackie Bradley Jr. had four RBIs and three hits Tyler Johnson Jersey , including a home run, and Christian Vazquez also homered to help Boston win for the fourth time in its last five games.
Price (9-5) allowed five hits, including a solo homer to Chris Young, and two walks while striking out seven to send Los Angeles to its fourth straight loss.
Lamb (0-1) got just five outs. He allowed five runs, three earned, on six hits and a pair of walks.
CUBS 9, DODGERS 4
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Javier Baez hit two home runs, including a grand slam, Jon Lester won his sixth consecutive start and Chicago ended a five-game losing streak.
Baez homered in consecutive innings, giving him 16 on the season, and finished with four hits.
Ross Stripling (6-3) gave up just one run over five innings before the Cubs broke open the game with six runs off the bullpen. The Dodgers lost for just the sixth time in 22 games in June.
Lester (10-2) has a 1.73 ERA over his last 11 starts, going back to April 30, and hasn’t lost since May 23. He is tied with Washington’s Max Scherzer for the NL lead in wins.
BREWERS 5, ROYALS 1
MILWAUKEE (AP) – Freddy Peralta pitched one-hit ball over seven scoreless innings, Jesus Aguilar hit one of Milwaukee’s three homers and the Brewers beat the Royals.
Peralta (3-0) allowed a leadoff double in the third to Adalberto Mondesi and also allowed a walk in the second. The 22-year-old rookie was perfect otherwise, striking out 10 in his fourth major league start.
Aguilar, Christian Yelich and Ryan Braun homered off starter Jakob Junis (5-9), who has lost six straight.
Mondesi, called up June 17, hit his first homer this season with two outs in the eighth off Dan Jennings.
PADRES 3, RANGERS 2
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Wil Myers and Hunter Renfroe hit run-scoring doubles in San Diego’s three-run eighth inning, helping the Padres rally for a win over the Rangers.
Shin-Soo Choo singled with two outs in the ninth to extend his major league-leading streak of reaching base to 39 games before Brad Hand got Nomar Mazara to fly out with two runners on for his 22nd save.
Four of six San Diego hitters reached against Jake Diekman (1-1). After Myers ended the Texas shutout, Christian Villanueva lifted a tying sacrifice fly to left before Renfroe’s go-ahead liner.
San Diego relievers struck out five straight batters, starting with the second of two from Matt Strahm (2-2) in the seventh.
ATHLETICS 9, TIGERS 7
DETROIT (AP) – Jed Lowrie drove in the tiebreaking run in the top of the ninth inning for a second straight game, and the Athletics rallied from six runs down to hand the Tigers their seventh straight loss.
Detroit led 6-0 after three innings, but Oakland came back to tie it at 7-all in the seventh. Lowrie singled home Matt Joyce in the ninth for his fourth hit of the night.
Joyce doubled off Shane Greene (2-5) to lead off the ninth. Lowrie also came in to score an insurance run on a single by pinch-hitter Dustin Fowler.