The 2026 IndyCar Series begins this weekend with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in a Florida street race. And who better to kick off the IndyCar season than a true legend of Central Florida: Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden
Per FOX motorsports reporter Bob Pockrass, Gruden has been given the command to start engines for the IndyCar season opener at the race course. Gruden was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2002 to 2008, leading the team to their first Super Bowl appearance and win in 2002 and is still the team's all-time leader in wins.
"Giving the command to start engines for the INDYCAR opener at St. Pete ... former Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden," Pockrass wrote on X.
Gruden may have outworn his welcome with the Las Vegas Raiders and the NFL as a whole, but he's still a beloved figure in the Tampa area for what he did with the Bucs. News of his presence at the IndyCar race has plenty of fans excited.
Gruden and the Bucs
Gruden took over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002 after a high-profile trade from the Oakland Raiders, immediately delivering the most successful season in franchise history. In his first year, Gruden guided a veteran, defense-led roster to a 12–4 record and a dominant victory in Super Bowl XXXVII, ironically defeating his former Raiders team. Built around the league’s top-ranked defense and a disciplined, detail-oriented offensive approach, the Buccaneers overwhelmed Oakland 48–21, giving Tampa Bay its first Super Bowl title. Gruden’s intense style and deep knowledge of the Raiders’ system were widely credited as key factors in the championship run.
In the years that followed, however, sustained success proved elusive. Tampa Bay made the playoffs twice more under Gruden (2005 and 2007) but failed to win another postseason game, as offensive inconsistency and frequent quarterback changes hampered the team. Despite compiling a 57–55 regular-season record over seven seasons, the Buccaneers struggled to maintain the championship formula, and Gruden was dismissed after the 2008 season following a late collapse. His tenure remains defined by the franchise’s lone Super Bowl triumph, cementing his legacy in Tampa Bay history despite an uneven finish.
Gruden spent a decade in media after his 2008 firing before returning to the Raiders as head coach in 2018. Despite showing signs of improvement over his first three seasons, he was forced to resign in the middle of his fourth season due to a controversial email scandal - which he is still suing the NFL over.