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Sunshine State of MindNothing but blue skies for American Football Monthly\'s 2002 NFL Coach of the Year© More from this issue With a 48-21 victory over his former team, the Oakland Raiders, in Super Bowl XXXVII, Jon Gruden, 39, became the youngest coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl as he guided Tampa Bay to its first world title in franchise history. Gruden was also the first non-rookie head coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl in his first season with a new team. In fact, Gruden has accomplished a lot for a man that is keeping a firm grasp as the youngest head coach in the NFL. Gruden, who first took the helm in Oakland in 1998, ended his four-year relationship with Al Davis and the Raiders for a move to Tampa Bay, which resulted in a Super Bowl-winning campaign in just his first year with the Bucs. “Having been in heated playoff battles the past couple of years in Oakland, this past season was extremely rewarding,” said Gruden. “Regardless of where you are, the feeling of defeat is a taste that is hard to get rid of. To go to the Super Bowl and win it is a feeling that is hard to describe just how good it feels.” With Gruden calling the shots, Tampa Bay not only broke its previous club record for victories in the regular season with 12 wins, but the Bucs also finished with the season with 15 overall wins, the most in the Bucs 27-year history. “I am very proud of our staff,” said Gruden. “The odd thing about coming to Tampa Bay was that I had never worked with any of the coaches on the staff ever in my career as a coach. Monte Kiffen, Joe Barry, Mike Tomlin and Rod Marinelli did a phenomenal job of taking an already outstanding defense to another level. Special Teams coach Rich Bisaccia stepped in as a first-year coach in the league and won a world championship and that is unbelievable. Those guys on offense did a tremendous job because working with me is a challenge to start with. We had some struggles early, but we showed a lot of character and a lot of resolve and our offensive coordinator Bill Muir did a fantastic job.” Gruden led the Bucs to their first ever NFL championship game and also claimed their first-ever NFC South title and fourth division crown. The Bucs, who are the only team in the NFL to reach the postseason in each of the last four years, finally ditched their perennial bridesmaid title for a world championship title instead. With this year’s success, American Football Monthly has named Gruden as the 2002 NFL Coach of the Year. “It is a great honor to be named American Football Monthly’s Coach of the Year because there are so many great coaches in this league and I have so much respect for all of them ... to be considered by people that cover the league and the industry is a special honor that I will always be very proud of.” NFL veteran Brad Johnson thrived under Gruden’s offensive system as he finished the 2002 season as the NFC’s top-rated passer. Johnson, who finished third in the NFL with a passer rating of 92.9, established a club single-season record in touchdowns (22), completion percentage (62.3) and lowest interception ratio (1.3 percent), became the first quarterback in Tampa Bay history to lead the NFC in passer ratings. Both Doug Williams and Steve Young were Buccaneers during their careers. “Brad Johnson is one tough guy that can really make clutch plays for you,” said Gruden. “If we can get better around him, the greatness of Brad Johnson is in his future.” In his previous two years at Oakland, Gruden had guided the Raiders to the AFC title game in 2000 and lost to eventual Super Bowl champion New England during the playoffs in 2001. So, winning is nothing new to the native of Sandusky, Ohio. Gruden became the youngest offensive coordinator at age 31 when Ray Rhodes hired him in 1995 to the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1997, Gruden’s offense was ranked fifth in rushing, second in passing and third overall in the NFC. Born on Aug. 17, 1963, Gruden, a three-year letterman at quarterback at the University of Dayton, and is wife Cindy have three sons, Jon II (9), Michael (6) and Jayson (2). At a Glance
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