Raiders may take their time in choosing new coach

By John Onan  |   Friday, January 06, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Oakland Raiders
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!
Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis has put his lead personnel man, Michael Lombardi, to work on making a preliminary list of candidates to replace Norv Turner as the team's head coach, but don't be surprised if this becomes a slower process than some other clubs will endure.

After letting go of their third coach in five years, including one with a winning record (John Gruden) and another that was one-year removed from a Super Bowl appearance (Bill Callahan), Davis and Co. realize they really need to get it right this time around.

We already know that Davis prefers offensive-minded coaches, and the team obviously has an abundance of weapons on that side of the ball. The candidates are easy to spot, namely former New York Giants coach and current Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, Ravens quarterback coach Rick Neuheisel, Fresno State coach Pat Hill, and California coach Jeff Tedford.

Fassel may have the inside edge, since he served as the Raiders quarterback coach in the mid-90's and has remains in good graces with Davis, and was head man of the Giants when current QB Kerry Collins was enjoying his greatest success as a pro. It is still not known, though, if Collins will be in a Raiders uniform when the 2006 season rolls around, though.

Speaking of getting it right, Davis could certainly make strides in that area if he were to consider bringing back former coach Art Shell, who like Gruden, sported a winning record as coach before he was dumped after the 1994 season. The owner has repeatedly stated he regretted firing Shell.

Considering the Oakland Raiders organization has gone through three straight losing campaigns, which hasn't happened before in the Al Davis era that spans 43 years, this should and will be a very careful, well thought out process.
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report