Jon Gruden has resigned as the Las Vegas Raiders head coach after a report Monday night in the New York Times revealed he used homophobic and misogynistic language in emails over a seven-year period ending in 2018.
Gruden said in a statement, “I have resigned as Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.”
Only a few days after a first email leak caught Gruden using racist language, an investigation uncovered more emails showing that Gruden mocked the drafting of the first openly gay player in NFL history, criticized the emergence of women in the NFL as officials and called for the dismissal of players protesting the playing of the national anthem.
Raiders owner Mark Davis met with Gruden to accept the Super Bowl-winning coach’s resignation.
Assistant coach Rich Bisaccia will take over as interim head coach.
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Gruden’s emails, from as far back as 2011, were sent to then-Washington Football Team president Bruce Allen and others while he worked for ESPN as a “Monday Night Football” analyst and NFL draft quarterback guru.
Gruden’s homophobic language included calling NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a “f—–” who should not have pressured then-Rams coach Jeff Fisher into drafting “queers” like Michael Sam. The Rams made Sam a seventh-round draft pick in 2014.
Here’s a report from the NFL Network.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Monday night on how things progressed quickly to a resignation.
