Filed under: Bengals, AFC North
From winning Arena Bowl titles to guiding the UFL's Florida Tuskers in a one-year stint as head coach/general manager, Jay Gruden was hired to be the Bengals' new offensive coordinator. Gruden, 43, is the younger brother of Super Bowl-winning head coach and now ESPN NFL Analyst and Monday Night Football commentator Jon Gruden.The new Bengals coordinator had his first taste of the NFL as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' coaching staff from 2002 to 2008. He shared championship glory with his brother when the Bucs won Super Bowl XXXVII. After his absence from the league, Gruden had his opportunities to return to the NFL, but chose to stay close to his family in Orlando.
When Cincinnati called him to fill the offensive coordinator position after the organization fired Bob Bratkowski, Gruden recognized the great opportunity and big brother couldn't be any happier.
"I'm so happy for my brother," said Jon Gruden. "He's had chances to get into the league, but he's a family guy and he stayed in Orlando. But now the time is right and there's a great opportunity in Cincinnati. He's a good football man. He's a big-picture guy who can tie things together.
"He worked very closely with me in Tampa. He helped me put the game plan together during the week and he was the guy I talked to on the phone during the game, helping me with adjustments, advising me on play calls and the clock."
Gruden never played in the NFL, but he was a successful professional athlete nonetheless. He won four Arena Bowl titles as a starting quarterback for the Tampa Storm, was voted as the fourth-greatest player in AFL history and was ushered into the AFL's Hall of Fame in 1999.
He also won two more Arena Bowls as the head coach for the Orlando Predators in 1998 and 2000. Gruden retired from the field of play to coach in 1997, but his passion for playing the game made him come out of retirement in 2002 to play for the Predators. After 18 years of experience as a player and a coach, Gruden processes what head coach Marvin Lewis was searching for in his next hire -- a fresh new look with a West Coast style of offense.
"We are excited to have Jay join us and give us a new direction offensively," Lewis said in a news release. "He has proven himself a consistent winner in a variety of positions and has earned tremendous respect in the coaching profession. He's going to provide the energy and attacking style that will best suit our offensive skill players and quarterback.
"This is something I wanted to get right, to take the time to make the best decision and I appreciate the support I got from (team president) Mike Brown in the process. The offense is where we need to show improvement, and when we do, we'll show that this team is ready to win the division again like we did just a year ago. Our defense is strong and still improving, and one thing we did in 2010 was to develop a number of very promising new players. Jay is a key addition to this process."
Gruden looks forward to his big chance with the Bengals.
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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/02/04/jay-gruden-hired-as-bengals-offensive-coordinator-while-big-bro/
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