The oddsmakers like ESPN pundit Jon Gruden’s chances of being the next football coach at the University of Tennessee.
He’s currently sitting at +800, meaning a wager of $100 would pay out $800. He’s tied for fifth as the most likely to be calling the shots for the Volunteers when Butch Jones gets fired. He initially opened at +2,000.
The rumors of Jon Gruden going to Tennessee have been steadily growing for weeks. I initially wrote there wasn’t a great chance he’d ever coach again. However, I’m starting to take a second look at the entire situation, and my opinion is slowly starting to change.
OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 18: Former head coach of the Oakland Raiders and now ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst Jon Gruden looks on during pre-game warm ups before an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum on November 18, 2012 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
If the Volunteers can cut a big check, give him the staff he wants and stay out of way, I could then see something coming together. Oddsmakers are rarely wrong, and his substantial shift upward is a sign that Gruden to Tennessee is now very real.