Jon Gruden to coach high school football at Carrollwood Day

Super Bowl-winning coach joins football staff at small independent Florida school.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Mitch Stephens
By
May 6, 2010, 12:00am
When Lane McLaughlin took over as head football coach at tiny Carrollwood Day (Tampa, Fla.) in 2007, he kept a Paul "Bear" Bryant philosophy in mind.

Said McLaughlin, a financial consultant for MassMutual: “Surround yourself with smarter coaches than yourself.” 

McLaughlin hit the jackpot in that department.

Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden officially joined McLaughlin’s staff this week as a volunteer offensive line assistant.

That would appear quite a demotion – in title and stature anyway – for Gruden, whose son Deuce will start at quarterback and strong safety for the Class 1B Independent school.

But, according to McLaughlin, Gruden has attacked his new position with the same vigor he displayed on NFL sidelines and more recently in projection rooms while grilling future NFL quarterbacks as an ESPN television analyst.

On Monday, Gruden, who was fired by the Buccaneers in January 2009 after seven seasons and a 2003 Super Bowl title, helped implement Carrollwood’s new protection schemes while also training new offensive line coach Derek Brown.

“He just loves to coach,” McLaughlin said. “You can tell he misses the field. Watching him install the system, seeing him in his environment, it was awesome. He was totally grinding it out with the offensive linemen.”

Asked if he might be a little intimidated with the elder Gruden roaming the sidelines, McLaughlin snickered.

“When I’m drawing up stuff at halftime on the board I better be prepared,” he said. “Shoot, I have a coach who won a Super Bowl in the room.

“No, I don’t see anyone stepping on anyone’s toes. He’s been around the program already. His schemes and knowledge and presence will be more than a little welcomed. My ego isn’t that big that I’m going to bypass this chance for our program and the kids.”

Fontes-Gruden connection

One of McLaughlin’s best friends, Mike Fontes, is the son of former Detroit Lions coach Wayne Fontes, who coached with Gruden’s dad Jim.

Mike recommended Gruden enroll Deuce at Carrollwood, a private kindergarten-through-12th-grade school located on a 40-acre property on the outskirts of Tampa, largely based on McLaughlin's growing reputation. The school, with roughly 150 high school-aged students, is also located less than a mile from the Gruden home.

McLaughlin built his reputation coaching his own children at the youth ranks, then served as receivers coach at perennial state power Jefferson from 1999-2006. He helped eight receivers earn Division I scholarships, including current Cincinnati Bengals wideout Andre Caldwell.

He took over an 0-10 Carrollwood squad and the following year led them to a state independent 6-man title with a 10-3 mark. The following season, the Patriots jumped to 11-man and went 4-7 before going 9-2 last season.

Last season’s starting quarterback Billy Embody is headed to Southern Methodist University to play and 1,000-yard running back Darius Bing is headed to Quincy State in Illinois.

Deuce Gruden, a stout 5-foot-6, 180-pound sophomore who can bench press more than 300 pounds according to McLaughlin, has started both seasons, splitting time between strong safety, slot back, quarterback and middle linebacker.

He led the team in tackles last year at 13.8 per game, but he won’t be playing middle linebacker again.

“We don’t want our quarterback playing middle linebacker,” McLaughlin said. “He’s probably too short  at this point to play quarterback at the Division I level, but he can definitely be a defensive player at that level.”

Last season, Gruden was on the Carrollwood sideline but was more of a consultant. He was also getting acclimated to his new television job.

“He didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, so he stayed back and was nothing but helpful,” McLaughlin said.  “I think it was a little awkward for him. This year he’s going to be right in the front lines.”

Letterman-Gruden connection

Gruden’s larger role at Carrollwood actually came into light during an appearance on “Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS.

When Letterman asked how the players responded to him, he said: "I think they like it. I try not to get too excited at the officials, and I've become a little bit more low-key. And I do everything I can to get an edge and help them win."

Letterman asked if he thought it was intimidating for other coaches to have Gruden roam the sideline.

“It’s all good,” Gruden said. “I think I understand my role and I just want to help my kid’s team win.”

Gruden appears to be part of a growing trend of NFL coaches giving back at the high school level.

Last week alone, former Rams and Southern California coach John Robinson was hired as the defensive coordinator at San Marcos (Calif.), former NFL quarterback Jeff Rutledge took the head job at Pope John Paul II (Hendersonville, Tenn.) and NFL running back and Cal’s all-time leading rusher Russell White accepted the same job at Castlemont (Oakland, Calif.).

A couple weeks before, also in Oakland, former NFL linebacker great Hardy Nickerson took over at Bishop O'Dowd (Calif.).

“With all the budget cuts, many schools can’t hire full-time assistants,” McLaughlin said. “It’s tough to find loyal, knowledgeable assistants who show up everyday anyway. Then to ask people to do it for nothing?” 

An average public school in Florida pays full-time head coaches roughly $3,500 a season and assistants $1,500, said McLaughlin. Considering the countless hours coaches put in, it comes to pennies an hour.

Of course, that’s more than Gruden is asking. He’s a volunteer.

“All I can offer (him) is an occasional beer,” McLaughlin said.





Gruden talking about coaching high school football on “Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS. . High school talk starts at 1:20 in.

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