Gruden, still the youngest coach in the NFL at 38, won't coach the team after his five-year contract expires at the end of the 2002 season, agent Bob LaMonte said Monday while en route to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

Phone calls to LaMonte's office went unanswered Tuesday.

Gruden, a top candidate for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' job, is in the lower half of the NFL coaching pay scale, with an annual salary of $1.2 million.

Gruden's parents live in Tampa. His father, Jim, is a regional scout for the San Francisco 49ers and formerly served as an assistant coach under John McKay with the Buccaneers. His brother, Jay, plays and coaches with the Orlando Predators in the Arena Football League.

Tampa Bay officials have been tight-lipped about the situation, maintaining they wouldn't comment while Gruden was under contract with the Raiders. The Buccaneers have also said they would be unwilling to trade draft picks -- a possibility -- for the right to negotiate with Gruden.

"This isn't about leverage," LaMonte told the Contra Costa Times. "There's a zero-percent chance of Jon Gruden coaching the Raiders in 2003."

Earlier Monday, during a season-ending news conference, Gruden refused to discuss his future in detail.

"There's been a lot of speculation since I've been here," Gruden said, two days after an overtime playoff loss to New England. "I'm sensitive about things written and said. I only deal with facts. I signed a five-year contract and I have one year left. The most important thing for me is to make sure this football team is going in the right direction."

Quarterback Rich Gannon credited Gruden and his staff with returning the Raiders to prominence. Oakland was 4-12 in 1997, the year before Gruden took over. Gruden has a 38-26 record in four years -- 2-2 in the playoffs -- with the Raiders.

"I think he's the best coach in football right now," Gannon said. "If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't come back."

Gruden indicated Monday he may be ready for a change.

"I'll play out the last year of a five-year contract and we'll see what happens," he said. "Right now I'm in here working. I'm not going to publicly talk about my contract and what I want personally. I'm part of the Oakland Raiders. I realize speculation is part of the game, but I signed a long-term deal. I don't know what is going to be in store in the years to come."

LaMonte told reporters late Monday that based on Gruden's comments at the press conference, "that would confirm the conversations I've had with Jon Gruden and that he would not coach the Raiders after the 2002 season."

One of Gruden's major attributes has been his ability to get the team focused despite off-field distractions, which included speculation he was ready to leave during the season for Notre Dame.

He also turned down an offer from Ohio State last year.

"Since Jon has gotten here, he's instilled a never-quit attitude," linebacker Greg Biekert said. "You've got to give the coaches a lot of credit for getting guys prepared."

Gruden was still adamant about the play, or replay, that helped hasten the end of the Raiders' season.

Biekert recovered New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's apparent fumble with 1:43 left in regulation in the Patriots' 16-13 victory on Saturday.

New England trailed 13-10 when Brady was hit by cornerback Charles Woodson and lost the ball. Biekert pounced on it, and referee Walt Coleman initially ruled it a fumble. But, after reviewing replays, Coleman changed his mind and said it was an incomplete pass.

The Patriots tied the game on Adam Vinatieri's 45-yard field goal with 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and won it on his 23-yarder 8:29 into overtime.

"I believe it was a fumble and I'll go to my grave thinking it was a fumble," Gruden said. "Pictures speak volumes of what that play was truly about. But the Patriots move on and we don't. We're still sick to our stomachs and disappointed to be out of the playoffs."

As for film of the game?