Jon Gruden was the first head coach to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title, earning a spot in their prestigious Ring of Honor. Gruden was removed from the Buccaneers Ring of Honor after the Super Bowl-winning head coach resigned from the Las Vegas Raiders in the wake of leaked emails in which he repeatedly used insensitive language.
"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have advocated for purposeful change in the areas of race relations, gender equality, diversity and inclusion for many years," the franchise said in a statement. "While we acknowledge Jon Gruden's contributions on the field, his actions go against our core values as an organization. Therefore, he will no longer continue to be a member of the Buccaneers Ring of Honor."
Gruden was put under investigation by the NFL for an email sent back in 2011 in which he used a racial trope to criticize NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith. Gruden admitted Friday that he also used profane language to describe NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and more emails leaked which he "casually and frequently unleashed misogynistic and homophobic language" during his tenure as a "Monday Night Football" color commentator for ESPN from 2010 to 2018, when he returned to coach the NFL with the Raiders.
Gruden brought the Buccaneers their first Super Bowl title in the 2002 season, leading Tampa Bay to a victory over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. Tampa Bay won three NFC South titles under Gruden, who finished with just a 57-55 record in seven seasons. Gruden's three playoff wins were the most in Buccaneers history at the time -- Bruce Arians passed him last season -- and his 57 wins are the most in team history. His four winning seasons are tied for the most in team history with Tony Dungy.
Two Buccaneers coaches sit in the Ring of Honor after Gruden's removal: Tony Dungy and John McKay.
