National Football League

Cowherd's NFL coaching tiers: Raiders' Jon Gruden not among the elite

Updated Mar. 22, 2021 10:41 p.m. ET

If asked to describe Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden, what might come to mind?

Colin Cowherd thinks of these words: Impulsive. Smart. And a great … monetizer?

Nowhere in there did the host of "The Herd" utter the words "great coach."

To be clear, Cowherd doesn't think there's anything wrong with Gruden marketing himself well. He called it a "great skill" to be able to "monetize your brand." More power to the coach for entering the fourth year of his record-breaking, 10-year, $100 million contract with great job security.

But Cowherd doesn’t think the Raiders should necessarily be happy with the way things are, especially with seven years left on Gruden's deal. He also questioned why some might put Gruden in the same class as the NFL’s great coaches, saying it’s based more on reputation than coaching acumen.

Raiders owner Mark Davis and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden during an NFL game between the Raiders and the Chargers on Dec. 22, 2019.

In fact, as Cowherd revealed his NFL coaching tiers, he didn’t have Gruden anywhere near the top. Here’s how he broke it down.

TOP TIER: THE SIX BEST COACHES

According to Cowherd, there are six coaches who rank above the rest.

Andy Reid, Chiefs

Colin's note: "Ten-plus wins in 15 of his 22 years."

Bill Belichick, Patriots

Colin's note: "Nine Super Bowl appearances, highest winning percentage of any active coach."

John Harbaugh, Ravens

Colin's note: "Thirteen years, one losing season – by the way, eight playoff road wins is the most in NFL history for a coach."

Pete Carroll, Seahawks

Colin's note: "Ten-plus wins in eight of his nine years in Seattle. He has a pretty good sense for personnel. The last great defense that we had in the NFL is Pete Carroll’s."

Sean Payton, Saints

Colin's note: "He’s one of the most creative, intense, passionate people in football. Last four years, 11-plus wins. A great quarterback developer."

Mike Tomlin, Steelers

Colin's note: "He’s never had a losing season in 14 years."

Cowherd said Gruden is not close to this group. Nor does he belong in the next tier of coaches.

SECOND TIER: YOUNG RISERS

These are younger coaches who have shown the talent that could take them into the top tier.

Kyle Shanahan, 49ers

Colin's note: "First year, he had a quarterback that was upright, [went] 13-3 and [to] the Super Bowl."

Matt LaFleur, Packers

Colin's note: "What can I say? I didn’t know he’d be this good. [He’s] 26-6. Aaron Rodgers is reborn."

Mike Vrabel, Titans

Colin's note: "That dude wins. [He] gets to the playoffs."

Sean McDermott, Bills

Colin's note: "I think he’s as good as any of these young guys. He’s probably the best young defensive coach in football. He’s out-of-this-world good."

Sean McVay, Rams

Colin's note: "He’s got the second-highest winning percentage in the NFL outside of Belichick."

When it comes to Gruden, Cowherd ranked him in the next group — barely.

THIRD TIER: WINNING COACHES

This group, according to Cowherd, includes capable coaches who consistently win games. It is made up of Bruce Arians, who just won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers, Frank Reich of the Colts, Mike McCarthy of the Cowboys, Mike Zimmer of the Vikings and Ron Rivera of the Washington Football Team.

Cowherd said there is "nothing wrong with being in this group," but he put Gruden near the bottom.

"I would put Frank Reich and Arians now at the top of this," Cowherd said. "Mike Zimmer is a little conservative for my taste offensively. McCarthy feels, sorry, a little outdated. [He] doesn’t really get defense. Rivera, I think, is very good. Head-scratcher with his last quarterback acquisition, but he’s very good."

Gruden has a good reputation as a coach, which Cowherd recognized, but he also said the results on the field don’t match that reputation.

"Jon has monetized himself into the highest-paid coach in NFL history," Cowherd said. "And it’s a talent, and I’m not knocking it, but you start looking at the results ... his last six years, he’s got two 4-12 seasons, not a single great season. They were done with him in Tampa."

The knock on Gruden, according to Cowherd, is that he’s too impulsive, and his plans frequently change. One moment, he’ll decide to spend a ton of money on offensive linemen. Then he’ll admit he overpaid and change course. Another moment, he’ll decide to acquire "character" guys. Then he’ll sign players that don’t fit that mold.

Gruden is smart but doesn’t stick to a plan. And that, Cowherd said, could ultimately lead to an unhappy Raiders owner in Mark Davis.