Jon Gruden. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brett Favre names SEC school he thinks Jon Gruden should coach

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 8:29 PM ET

Jon Gruden has not coached since he was forced to step down from his position with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, but one Hall of Fame quarterback thinks the former Super Bowl champion is poised to make a comeback.

Gruden has been mentioned as a potential candidate for some SEC head coach jobs. While some think the 62-year-old could eventually be welcomed back into the NFL, Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre said in a social media post on Monday that he believes Gruden would be "a perfect fit for the SEC."

More specifically, Favre says he could envision Gruden at Arkansas.

"I’ve always said Jon Gruden is one of the sharpest minds in football. His energy, passion, and love for the game are a perfect fit for the SEC... Wouldn’t be surprised to see him land somewhere like Arkansas. I could see Gruden being a spark for that program," Favre wrote on X.

I’ve always said Jon Gruden is one of the sharpest minds in football. His energy, passion, and love for the game are a perfect fit for the SEC...

Wouldn’t be surprised to see him land somewhere like Arkansas. I could see Gruden being a spark for that program.
— Brett Favre (@BrettFavre) September 29, 2025

Arkansas is looking for a new leader

Arkansas fired head coach Sam Pittman following Saturday's 56-13 loss to Notre Dame. Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, who coached the team from 2008-2011, has been named the interim head coach. The Razorbacks have officially begun their search for a new full-time candidate.

One line of thought is that Arkansas will try to spend big on its next head coach in hopes of keeping pace with powerhouse SEC programs in the NIL era. Gruden is still getting paid by the Las Vegas Raiders, so he might not cost as much as some other prominent coaches if he were to be interested in the job.

Favre is not the first person to link Gruden to the Arkansas job.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

More must-reads: