CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. (January 8, 2001) - If you are watching the AFC Championship game between the Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens this weekend you may be surprised to find that one of the head coaches has ties to Southeast Missouri State.

Twelve years ago, Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden served as the quarterbacks coach for an Indian football team that finished the season 6-4 under head coach Bill Maskill. That would be Gruden's only season at Southeast as he would move on to Pacific University to coach wide receivers the following season.

Following the job at Pacific, Gruden, a graduate of Dayton University, served as an assistant for the San Francisco 49ers and coached wide receivers at the University of Pittsburgh and for the Green Bay Packers. In 1995, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Ray Rhodes made Gruden the youngest offensive coordinator in NFL history at age 31.

Following several successful seasons with the Eagles, on January 22, 1998, Gruden became the third youngest coach in Raiders history and the current youngest head coach in the NFL. Following two 8-8 seasons, 2000 was a breakout season for Gruden, as the Raiders won the AFC West Championship with a 12-4 record.

Following a victory over the Miami Dolphins this past weekend, Gruden will lead the Raiders into the AFC Championship against the Ravens at 3:00 p.m. CST on Sunday, January 14.