Who’s Next on List? Probably Not Gruden

Notre Dame can cross Jon Gruden off the list. Again.

“Jon Gruden is the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, and he’s committed to that job 110%,” agent Bob LaMonte said Friday, adding neither he nor Gruden have been in contact with the school.

Landing Gruden, the NFL’s hottest coaching prospect, might be the only way the Fighting Irish can wash away the embarrassment of the George O’Leary fiasco. But Gruden took himself out of the running last week, before O’Leary was hired.

Asked if Gruden will finish the season in his current job, LaMonte said: “Without question.”

That said, the pressure is on the Raiders to sign him to a new deal. He has a year remaining on the contract he signed as a rookie coach in 1998, a deal that pays him $1.2 million this season--his first at more than $1 million. LaMonte said there is no timetable for reaching a new deal, although Gruden’s contract expires Feb. 1, 2003.

He was not officially offered the Notre Dame job, but he did field an offer from Ohio State last year which would have paid him $25 million over 10 years.

Contrary to recent speculation, an NFL source said Gruden is not interested in striking a deal to be both coach and general manager. He is interested in coaching only.

San Francisco 49er Coach Steve Mariucci had also withdrawn from consideration, and it’s not likely that the developments of the last few days have favorably influenced any of the front-runners’ minds about the position.

One coach who was mentioned prominently before O’Leary was hired was Tyrone Willingham, whose Stanford team was 9-2, including a victory over Notre Dame. Athletic Director Kevin White chose not to meet with Willingham before choosing O’Leary but may have a change of heart.

The timing, however, might not be the best for the coach or the Cardinal. Stanford is preparing for the Seattle Bowl on Dec. 27 against, ironically, O’Leary’s former Georgia Tech team.

Other names being considered could be Oregon’s Mike Bellotti and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops.

There is at least one person interested in the job.

Gerry Faust, who coached at Notre Dame from 1981-85 and went 30-26-1, said he thought White would find a replacement quickly.

“There are plenty of coaches out there, good coaches who want to be at Notre Dame,” he said. “I wouldn’t care if I was the 10th choice, I’d jump at it tomorrow again. It’s the greatest job in America, even if it’s the toughest. It’s a special place and I don’t regret one minute of the time I spent there.”

*

Newsday and the Associated Press contributed to this report.