Official: Raiders, 49ers staffs to coach Senior Bowl

The Raiders put in for coaching the Senior Bowl and they got it. Jon Gruden and Company will face off against their (current) Bay Area rival coaches from the San Francisco 49ers.

It’s a tremendous benefit for a coaching staff to work the Senior Bowl. Instead of getting just the pro day, combine, and a limited number of official visits, the Raiders staff will get an entire week with a team full of NFL hopefuls.

In this case, Gruden’s Raiders staff will coach the North squad while Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers staff will coach the South.

Gruden tends to glean a lot from meeting players, speaking with them, and seeing their practice habits and attitude. What he calls “Gruden Grinders”.

The game will take place on Saturday January 26 which means the Raiders staff will be packing up and heading to Mobile Alabama here in less than three weeks.

That staff will be accompanied by newly minted GM Mike Mayock, who would have been there anyway in his capacity as an NFL Network analyst. Now he’s be there as a personnel executive, offering his expertise to just one club as opposed to an entire viewing public.

The Raiders coached the Senior Bowl back in 2013 as well when Dennis Allen was the head coach. Before that it was Lane Kiffin in 2008. Jon Gruden headed up the Senior Bowl coaching staff as Raiders head coach in 1999 as well.

“We’re fired up to have Jon Gruden back in Mobile,” said Reese’s Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy. “He brings such rare energy and passion to the game of football. This is a unique opportunity for our fans to see and hear coach Gruden at field level during our practice week.”