Josh Pate reacts to Jon Gruden proclaiming he’d ‘die to coach in the SEC’

Jon Gruden made headlines this weekend when he noted that he’d not only be open to coaching again, but that he would die to coach in the SEC. But is there a world where the long-time NFL coach takes the step down to college?

At least one college football analyst is fully predicting as much. That’s Josh Pate.

“Which jobs would he take is the question,” Pate said on Josh Pate’s College Football Show. “To me, Jon Gruden’s going to get a head coaching job. I’m putting that out there. I think Jon Gruden’s going to be a college football head coach.

“It’s not about which programs would offer him the job. There are a bunch of them out there who will offer him the job, I believe. The question is which programs would Jon Gruden be open to taking the job at? Which jobs appeal to him?”

Secondary to that question is the question of whether Gruden would be any good coaching at the college level. Virtually all of his experience is at the NFL level.

And college these days is a massive requirement. There are so many angles to the job that head coaches now have massive staffs around them to help ease the load.

But Pate has a pretty singular view of how Jon Gruden would fare. He was not shy about expressing the opinion on his show on Sunday night.

“I want you to listen to me. There’s no gray area on this,” Pate said. “My opinion on this is Jon Gruden can kill it. If he gets into college football coaching, Jon Gruden can kill it. Let me be very clear: I mean the right situation. Because no one’s going to kill it in the wrong situation.

“Jon Gruden could absolutely win in college football. And for those of you who say he can’t — I know there will be some of you out there because I know our audience, I know what my comments section looks like. Here’s what I’m asking you: What is it that it takes to win in college football that Jon Gruden lacks? If you doubt him, if you think if he gets hired it’ll be a joke, what is it that it takes to win that he lacks?”

As the comment section went wild on his YouTube broadcast, Pate calmly laid out why he believes Jon Gruden can be a massive success in college. He simply checks all the boxes.

“I’m going to tell you what I think it takes to win,” Pate said. “I think you’ve got to be able to hire. I think you’ve got to be able to acquire talent. In the NFL that means drafting and free agency. In college football that means recruiting and portal and free agency. Can you develop players? In college football especially this next bullet point: Are you flexible? Can you roll with the changes? Because that has been eternal lately in this sport. And most importantly, once you get past all that, do you ignite a fanbase?”

The latter piece might vary in importance depending on the recent history of the program. And that goes back to which job Jon Gruden might choose.

But the reality is that Gruden very much moves the needle, Pate pointed out. Enough for an intrepid athletics director to tab his as the next head coach?

“I’ve got my doubts about whether (Bill) Belichick will work out at UNC, but you better believe he ignited that fanbase,” Pate said. “When you’re looking for different revenue streams these days, it matters more these days, do you understand the dynamics if you’re sitting there in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Jon Gruden is announced as your new head coach? You think Cal did something for basketball juice in northwest Arkansas? Imagine what hiring Jon Gruden does.

“I’m asking you, I’m really asking you… what is it that it takes to win in college football that he doesn’t bring to the table? Because I think he’d surround himself with an excellent staff. I think folks would want to coach with Jon Gruden. I guarantee you about 90% of the fanbases in the country would be very open to Jon Gruden becoming their coach. And the 10% who wouldn’t be open to it have great head coaches already so he wouldn’t need it.”