LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas Raiders fans are saying goodbye to head coach Jon Gruden.
On Monday, Gruden formally announced that he would be resigning from his position as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
"I have resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider nation. I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone,” said Gruden in a statement released by the team.
RELATED: Las Vegas Raiders' head coach Jon Gruden resigns after emails surface
Gruden's resignation happened just about an hour after the New York Times released a report detailing the use of racially insensitive, homophobic and misogynistic terms in emails that Gruden sent dating from 2010 all the way to 2018, when he rejoined the Raiders.
“Now that we really know the real Gruden, I say ‘hey don’t let the door hit you on your way out buddy,’” said Cisco Ortega, president of The Black Hole Las Vegas chapter.
“As a coach of a football team, as a leader of men, you have to hold yourself to a higher standard and there has to be accountability. He's got to be thinking of all those things he said and all those things he emailed,” said John Vizcarra, vice president of The Black Hole Las Vegas chapter.
Some Raiders fans we heard from said they were disgusted by the news of the emails.
“It's like how do you say those things about people. It's just very disappointing,” Ortega said.
Others acknowledged the importance of diversity within the NFL, calling his departure the right move.
“Let's be honest when you have 75% that the locker room is black and these comments are in a racist form, from what we’ve heard with the emails, you wonder what the reaction is in that locker room,” said TC Martin, sports radio host.
“This just to me solidifies what the franchise stands for. that it’s inclusive and that it’s a place for everything and regardless of orientation, of gender, of belief,” Vizcarra said.
According to the New York Times, more than 650,000 emails were reviewed by NFL executives as part of the workplace investigation with the Washington football team.
