The 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jon Gruden was ahead of the curve when it came to coaching football. At 31, he was already an offensive coordinator in the pro ranks. At 34, he became one of the youngest NFL head coaches ever. So the asking price for his services was steep in 2002: Two first round picks, two second round picks, and $8 million. But for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it proved to be a bargain. Gruden inherited a Buccaneers team that was already playoff-caliber, as Tampa Bay reached the postseason four times in the previous six years. But the organization wanted more from Gruden. With a star-studded defense that included Warren Sapp, John Lynch and Derrick Brooks in place, the Buccaneers asked their new hire to lead them to a world title. The workaholic Gruden soon won over his charges, and advanced the team to Super Bowl XXXVII against his former team, the Oakland Raiders. With first-hand knowledge of Oakland`s system, Gruden prepared Tampa Bay for its opponent as well as any team in Super Bowl history.