Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden made an unexpected appearance at a Republican rally in Vandalia, Ohio, campaigning for incumbent U.S. Senator Jon Husted ahead of President Donald Trump’s address. The Super Bowl-winning coach spoke to supporters gathered at the event.
After Gruden left the stage, Trump highlighted his presence, telling the enthusiastic crowd, “We even have one of my favorite coaches in the whole world here, Jon Gruden.”
Trump and Gruden are already acquainted, having shared at least one round of golf in 2025, along with any other meetings they may have had.
“He’s a great coach and he’s a very good golfer too,” Trump said. “Right, Jon? We had a great time. He’s a great winner. He’s a winner.”
Trump, 80, was warmly received by his supporters, although his remarks generated a noticeably calmer response than Gruden’s high-energy speech earlier in the program.
“I came back for one reason,” Gruden declared. “I’m from Ohio. My mom and dad are from Cleveland. I was born in Sandusky and I went to the University of Dayton and I’m damn proud of it, man!”
Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, from left, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, and Jon Gruden applaud as President Donald Trump speaks during an event at Butler High School in Vandalia
President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an event at Butler High School on Saturday
Supporters inside Butler High School, located just north of Dayton, answered Gruden with loud cheers.
Gruden praised Husted not only as a friend but also as a former football standout. “Jon Husted is a lot more than my friend; he was a great player,” Gruden said, noting that Husted recorded 17 interceptions during his playing career. He credited the senator’s work ethic, commitment and mental toughness for his success, adding that Husted “will never quit on you or anybody.”
The crowd again responded with a powerful burst of applause.
“Let’s hear it for Husted,” Gruden urged.
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Husted, a longtime conservative who has drawn criticism over his shifting position on Trump’s controversial tariffs, is facing populist Democrat Sherrod Brown in a closely watched U.S. Senate contest.
With the November 3 election approaching, Gruden encouraged the audience to support Husted at the ballot box and persuade friends and family to do the same.
“Before you know it, this election is over,” Gruden said. “But what we got to do is we got to do our part. Early voting starts Tuesday. Can we be there or not? Let’s be there! And I know you guys got a lot more friends than I do. Get your friends and get their friends and their friends and let’s get Husted back in action! Let’s go! Let’s go!”
Recent polling has shown Brown with an advantage over Husted, generally leading by between 3 and 4 percentage points.
Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (left) was also on hand
Trump praised Gruden as a talented golfer and a “winner,” repeating the description several times
Gruden’s conservative political views have become increasingly apparent over the years.
During his first period with the Oakland Raiders and his Super Bowl-winning run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gruden generally avoided political commentary. He took much the same approach while working as an ESPN analyst from 2009 through 2018.
What wasn’t known at the time was Gruden’s disdain for top Democrats like President Barack Obama and his Vice President, Joe Biden.
It wasn’t until after Gruden’s 2018 return to the Raiders that these beliefs were leaked to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal in a series of emails he’d sent to Washington Redskins executive Bruce Allen, the brother of Republican former Virginia Governor and Senator, George Allen.
When those emails did surface in 2021, they also contained Gruden’s racist comments about then-NFL union chief DeMaurice Smith, who is black, as well as homophobic attacks on commissioner Roger Goodell.
Although Gruden would ultimately step down as Raiders coach, he later sued the NFL and Goodell for $150 million, claiming the league leaked the emails to the Times and Journal. A league spokesman has denied the claim and a jury trial is scheduled to begin in May of 2027.