Raiders begin quest for third coach in five years

By John Onan  |   Wednesday, January 04, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Oakland Raiders
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The head coaching carousel has begun to turn again for the Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, as Norv Turner was fired on Tuesday after consecutive losing seasons. After beginning the year a subpar 3-4, the team lost eight of their final nine games to finish 4-12 and seal Turner's fate.

The Raiders offense struggled despite having a bevy of weapons, including Pro Bowl wide receivers Randy Moss and Jerry Porter. Besides obtaining Moss in an off-season trade with the Minnesota Vikings, they also signed running back LaMont Jordan as a free agent.

On the other side of the ball, many expected the team to be average at best, and they didn't disappoint. Oakland ended the year ranked 27th in total defense, and gave up too many big plays. The defensive line was pushed around by opposing running games with regularity and losing cornerback Charles Woodson to a broken fibula weakened the already thin secondary.

Turner compiled a 9-23 record in two seasons, the exact same amount of tenure as the man he replaced, Bill Callahan, who was let go following a 4-12 record in 2003. The previous year, Callahan led the team to an 11-5 record and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Davis stated that senior personnel chief Michael Lombardi will immediately begin heading the search for a new head coaching.

A few candidates whose names have been tossed around so far include former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel, Ravens quarterbacks coach Rick Neuheisel, former Oakland Raiders coach Art Shell, and recently ousted St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz.
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