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Gruden to join 'Monday Night Football' telecasts

News Channel 8 file photo by DAVID KRAUT

''This is a tremendous opportunity and I am very excited to be associated with ESPN and Monday Night Football,'' Jon Gruden says.

By ROY CUMMINGS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 18, 2009

Updated: 05/18/2009 03:38 pm

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TAMPA - TAMPA - The next John Madden? It may very well be Jon Gruden. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach is taking his scowl from the field to the broadcast booth as an analyst on "Monday Night Football," ESPN announced Monday.

Gruden replaces Washington Post sports columnist and "Pardon The Interruption'' co-host Tony Kornheiser as the third man in the booth alongside play-by-play man Mike Tirico and fellow analyst Ron Jaworski for what will be the 40th season of national prime-time Monday telecasts.

"Today's a new beginning for me, a change of life,'' Gruden said during a national conference call. "Whether it's me being critical or me being myself, I'll do the preparation and do everything I can to do a good job.''

Gruden will make his 'MNF' debut when ESPN kicks off its fourth season of Monday Night telecasts with a preseason matchup Aug. 13 featuring the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers, last year's Super Bowl combatants.

"Jon is one of the best football minds in the game, he has a natural ability to communicate that knowledge and he brings great enthusiasm – everything you want in an analyst," ESPN executive vice president for production Norby Williamson said in a release.

"Combining Mike, one of the top play-by-play commentators in TV and radio, and Jaws, arguably the NFL's best X's and O's analyst, with Jon, a Super Bowl-winning head coach, will create a must-watch 'Monday Night Football' booth during the 40th season and in the years ahead."

Gruden was fired by the Bucs in January and replaced by Raheem Morris after compiling a 60-57 record over seven seasons. He was the winningest coach in team history and led the Bucs to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII after the 2002 season.

Because his new job is not a coaching position, it is believed the Bucs will continue to pay Gruden. He signed a three-year, $15 million extension after winning the 2007 NFC South title, and was fired with three years left on the contract.

Gruden wouldn't rule out a return to the coaching ranks and neither he nor Williamson would comment on the length of Gruden's contract or whether it would allow him to return to coaching before it expires. For now, though, Gruden seems committed to ESPN.

"I'm excited to try something I believe in,'' he said. "If I can withstand the pressure maybe I can hang in there and keep this job for a while. So right now I'm just focused on this season.''

Gruden's first TV work came as a guest analyst this year with the NFL Network during the NFL Draft and Scouting Combine. He was pointed in his analysis then and willing joked with his associates but he says he won't look to be overly critical as a Monday Night Analyst.

"I'm not going to try to be a piece of barbed wire with a scowl on my face,'' he said. "I want to have some fun and be able to razz guys and be critical when you have to be critical. That seems to be what they want nowadays.''

'MNF' opens the regular season Sept. 14, when the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots kick off the first game of a doubleheader. The broadcast team, which also includes sideline reporters Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya, will also provide team updates throughout game day on "Monday Night Countdown" and other ESPN studio shows.

Kornheiser is stepping down after three years on 'MNF.'

"I feel we got better each year," Kornheiser said in a statement from ESPN. "My fear of planes is legendary and sadly true. When I looked at the upcoming schedule it was the perfect storm that would've frequently moved me from the bus to the air. I kept looking at the schedule the past month and wanted to find a way to quietly extricate myself.

"If I could handpick a replacement of a football guy, I would cast a net and drag in Jon Gruden. He is the two things you most want — smart and funny — and has the two things I don't — good hair and a tan."

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