Jon Gruden confirms he's in mix for Oakland Raiders' opening

At least Jon Gruden now admits that he is a candidate for the Oakland Raiders' head coaching job.

Several news outlets, including ESPN, have reported that Gruden will be the Raiders' next coach after Jack Del Rio was fired following Sunday's game.

However, there was not any solid evidence that Gruden, now an NFL analyst for ESPN, would be interested in the position until a report by Jerry McDonald from the Bay Area News Group confirmed it.

"My understanding is they're interviewing candidates this week and they're going to let everybody know sometime early next week or whenever they make their decision," Gruden said, per the Bay Area News Group. "Well, I think I am being considered, yes. I hope I'm a candidate."

Although Gruden is coy, his confirmation that he is interested in the opening provides more evidence that he will indeed be Oakland's next coach and an announcement could come soon.

Gruden will continue in his role as an ESPN analyst for Saturday's wild-card game between the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs.

Gruden was the Raiders' head coach from 1998 through 2001, and then was Tampa Bay's head coach from 2002 through 2008. The Raiders lost in the AFC Championship Game in his final two seasons in Oakland, and the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl in his first season with Tampa Bay.

If Gruden is hired by Oakland, there will be an opening for a commentator on Monday Night Football. It remains to be seen who that might be.