A Super Bowl-winning NFL coach found himself in an unusual spotlight this weekend, pulled into the middle of one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races.
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Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden was in the crowd Saturday at a campaign rally for Ohio Senator Jon Husted in Vandalia, when President Donald Trump called him out from the stage. Journalist Aaron Rupar captured the moment on X.
Trump sent a shout-out to Gruden directly to the crowd before turning the microphone over to him, praising both his coaching résumé and his golf game in the same breath.
“We even have one of my favorite coaches in the whole world here, Jon Gruden. He’s a great coach, and he’s a very good golfer, too. We had a good time. Great winner. He’s a winner,” Trump said.
Gruden also took the stage later on, thanking the crowd and quickly turning the focus toward early voting and getting out support for Husted. He closed with a direct appeal to the thousands in attendance.
“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.”
Gruden’s appearance came as Husted faces a much tougher Senate race than Republicans had initially expected. Husted was appointed to the Senate in January 2025 after JD Vance vacated the seat to become vice president. He is now running to hold the seat in a November 3 special election against Democrat Sherrod Brown, who is trying to return to the Senate after losing his reelection bid in 2024.
The contest has drawn national attention because Ohio is among the Senate races Republicans are treating as competitive. National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman Tim Scott acknowledged the situation during a recent campaign stop, describing the race as “right at a dead-even race” and saying it was “as tight as ticks.”
Scott also pointed to one of the biggest issues surrounding Husted’s campaign: the growth of data centers across Ohio. Husted has faced criticism over his support for bringing the facilities to the state, particularly over concerns about their impact on electricity costs and the power grid.
The issue became even more prominent after a bill backed by Husted failed to advance in the Senate on September 30. The legislation was aimed at making large electricity users, including data centers, take greater responsibility for the costs associated with their impact on the power grid. The measure failed in a 57-43 vote.
Trump addressed the same debate during Saturday’s rally, defending data centers while arguing that Ohio could benefit financially from the investment.
“Look, there’s so much money to be made for Ohio. You can’t just turn them off. They’ll go to China.”
Husted has tried to frame the issue around making the companies responsible for the demands they place on local infrastructure. Scott made a similar argument at the rally, saying:
“You got to remember, Sherrod Brown was for data centers, and Jon Husted is for data centers being responsible. If a community doesn’t want them, he doesn’t want them either.”
The pressure on Husted has also made Trump’s support particularly relevant. Reuters reported that Ohio is one of eight competitive Senate races this cycle and the state’s contest is already among the most expensive in the country.
Jon Gruden’s Ohio Roots Run Deeper Than Football
While Trump’s introduction put Gruden in the political spotlight, the former coach had his own reason for returning to Ohio. Gruden was born in Sandusky, grew up with family roots in Cleveland, and played quarterback at the University of Dayton, where he earned his degree in 1986.
Husted also played football at Dayton and became an All-American cornerback and kick returner for the Flyers. He was a starter on Dayton’s 1989 NCAA Division III national championship team and made the interception that helped seal the title game.
“He was a great player. He intercepted 17 passes on the gridiron. He was a great player, and I know why he’s a great player. It was because of his work ethic, his commitment, and his day-to-day mental toughness. He will never quit, ever, on you or anybody,” Gruden said.
Gruden’s own playing career at Dayton eventually gave way to one of the more notable coaching careers among the university’s alumni. He went on to coach the Raiders and Buccaneers, winning Super Bowl XXXVII with Tampa Bay in 2003. Dayton notes that Gruden became the second Flyers graduate to coach a Super Bowl-winning team.
Gruden knows a thing or two about pressure. This time, the stakes are on the campaign trail, and Husted is counting on him to help deliver.