Tampa, FL – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that former head coach Jon Gruden, their Super Bowl XXXVII-winning head coach, is returning to the team’s Ring of Honor four years after his name was removed by the club.
“I got a chance to reconnect this past season at a game with the Buccaneers,” Gruden told the Tampa Bay Times on Thursday. “Some of my best memories in life were at Raymond James Stadium with the Bucs, and it’s a great feeling and a great honor.”
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Gruden was vacationing in the Great Smoky Mountains on Thursday when he learned the news.
The Bucs released a statement Thursday announcing the decision.
“Jon Gruden was initially inducted into the Bucs Ring of Honor based on his many accomplishments during his seven seasons as our head coach, and he remains a significant figure in the history of our franchise,” the team said in a statement. “Upon further reflection, we have decided to reinstate him into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.”
Honoring Gruden was initially rescinded a day after he resigned as Raiders coach following the release of emails that used racist, homophobic, and misogynistic terms. His name was immediately removed.
“While we acknowledge Jon Gruden’s contributions on the field, his actions go against our core values as an organization,” a team statement read at the time. “Therefore, he will no longer continue to be a member of the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.”
However, Gruden and some of the Bucs brass reunited at the celebration of life for former Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, who died at age 84.
At the memorial, Kiffin’s son — Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin — spoke about his father’s ability to forgive and award players and coaches second chances.
Apparently, that struck a chord with the Glazer family, which invited Gruden and his wife, Cindy, to the Bucs game against San Francisco on November 10. The Bucs lost 23-20, but Gruden watched the game from the Glazers’ suite.
