Dan Pompei

Of course Jon Gruden just re-upped with ESPN to continue as a broadcaster. The lifestyle of a talking head has got it all over the lifestyle of an NFL coach.

Gruden doesn’t have to set his alarm clock for 3:18 a.m. anymore, as he did for years as a coach. The coaches Gruden left behind in the profession still are waking up early and going to bed late, working until their minds are numb — “grinding” they call it.

It’s probably safe to say there aren’t many jobs more demanding than the job of an NFL coach.

This is a typical work week for an assistant, not including game days:

Monday: 5:30 a.m. until 11 p.m.
This is a heavy tape-watching day — first, reviewing the tape from Sunday, then studying the tape of the upcoming opponent.

Tuesday: 5:30 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Gameplan day. Coaches spend a lot of time meeting, deciding on how to attack their opponent in base offenses and defenses. They also spend a couple hours watching tape, and use some time to prepare for practice the next day.

Wednesday: 5:30 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Player meetings begin in the morning, then practice, then more meetings. When the players leave, coaches start working on their game plan for third downs.

Thursday: 5:30 a.m. until 11 p.m.
This is essentially the same routine as Wednesday. The only difference is in the evening coaches are working on red zone, short yardage and goal line.

Friday: 5:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.

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After some tape work, practice and meetings, everyone calls it an early day. Coaches often catch up with their families on Fridays.

Saturday: 9 a.m. until noon.
After a walk-through practice and some last-minute preparations, coaches may have a little free time. But if they play on the road, it’s off to the airport. If they play at home, they usually have to meet in the late afternoon at the team hotel.

How did this craziness begin? It wasn’t as if a coach one day said, “We all are going to start working close to 100 hours a week, OK?”

Coaches gradually began working longer and longer hours as the game became more complex and the stakes became higher. It became a game of keeping up with the Joneses — and Grudens.

It has gotten to the point where if there is a coach like Steve Spurrier who believes he can get by working fewer hours, he gets ridiculed by his peers.

I’ve known some coaches who will take out the sticks on an off day during the season — but won’t want anyone to know they’re doing it. Others keep their outside interests private because they don’t want to give the perception that they are distracted.

There are some coaches who are known for being less demanding of their staffs, but they are becoming fewer and fewer. Tony Dungy was one. Dick Jauron was another. Wade Phillips and Mike Singletary might be the bosses you’d most like if you were an NFL assistant.

For most assistants, the challenge is finding a balance between working hard and working smart. Sometimes, less can be more. But try explaining that one to your boss who is the first one in, last one out.

Dealing with mental and physical fatigue is a constant battle for NFL coaches. They have different ways of dealing with it.

There always is a pot of coffee brewing in the coaching wing of the every NFL facility. Some coaches, like Bills interim head coach Perry Fewell, prefer hot tea. Others are into Red Bull or energy drinks. Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger will down a dozen Diet Cokes in a day.

Heimerdinger said he knows that every Wednesday and Thursday at about 3 p.m., he will hit a wall. But he also knows that come 8 or 9, he’ll get an energy surge that lets him keep working into the night.

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“I’m used to the five hours of sleep,” he said. “The hard part is eventually you have to get away mentally because you still have to call a game on the weekends."

There are coaches who will try to sneak in a short workout to get the blood flowing. A few will take a quick nap (but rarely admit it). Some play music while they watch tape so they don’t doze off.

“As coaches we are driven because of the challenge of the game,” Fewell said. “Yes, we all are tired, but we are geared to do it. There is a new challenge every day, a new energy every day. When I go home, my head hits the pillow and I’m done. I don’t have a normal life. There is no SportsCenter or anything. It’s all ball.”