Raiders Notes: McKenzie, Sparano, Gruden
Dennis Allen became the first NFL head coach of the 2014 season to be fired last night, after his Raiders lost all four of their games in September. Since then, rumors have been swirling about the team’s short-term solution at head coach, potential longer-term targets, and whether general manager Reggie McKenzie‘s job is safe. Here’s the latest out of Oakland:
- After initially reporting (via Twitter) that Tony Sparano would not be taking over as the Raiders’ head coach, Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com clarified (via Twitter) that McKenzie was being indecisive and then Sparano is still being considered. According to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Sparano still looks like the most likely replacement for Allen, but offensive coordinator Greg Olson has made it known that he wants the job.
- While McKenzie apologists may argue that he inherited an aging, overpriced roster, and has spent the last couple years getting out from under poor cap decisions, Alex Marvez of FOX Sports doesn’t believe the Raiders GM has shown any indications that he deserves to remain a part of the team’s rebuilding process. In Marvez’s view, McKenzie should be the next to go.
- Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group points out that GMs are rarely fired in the middle of a season, but thinks that owner Mark Davis will take a long look at replacing McKenzie in the offseason. If he decides to make a change, Davis figures to “put everything he has into a basket” for Jon Gruden before exploring other candidates, according to Kawakami, who adds that the former Raiders coach has long been Davis’ top choice to take over the club’s football operations.
- Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) acknowledges that Gruden could potentially be in play for the Raiders in January, but thinks it’d be an easier sell if the Raiders were headed to Los Angeles with a new stadium lined up.
- Williamson also notes (via Twitter) that the Raiders previously made a run at Mike Holmgren, speculating that perhaps he could be part of the team’s front office picture in 2015.
Raiders Fire Dennis Allen
11:00pm: The Raiders’ interim head coach options are Sparano and Olson, according to Schefter (on Twitter).
10:32pm: The Raiders have informed head coach Dennis Allen that he is fired, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Raiders dropped to 0-4 after getting blown out by the Dolphins in London on Sunday. Now in the midst of their bye week, the time off should give them time to adjust to an altered regime.
Allen, 42, first broke into the NFL as a defensive assistant with the Falcons in 2002. Over time he climbed the ladder, moving from the Saints’ staff to Broncos defensive coordinator to Raiders head coach in 2012. After back-to-back 4-12 seasons and an abysmal first month of the 2014 season, the Raiders decided that they have had enough. Allen, who has served under big names like Sean Payton, John Fox, and Dan Reeves, will probably have to climb the ladder again before he gets another crack at a head coaching gig.
There’s no word on who his fill-in will be, but Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter) reported last night that Tony Sparano would be expected to take over as interim head coach. Al Saunders could also be a consideration, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter). Offensive coordinator Greg Olson is a strong candidate, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
The news doesn’t come as a great surprise given the awful start to the Raiders’ season. The outrage from fans has been palpable and even veteran cornerback Charles Woodson aired his frustrations after the team’s Week 2 blowout at the hands of the Texans:
“That’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed for this team. I’m embarrassed for these fans. And the thing about it is, I’m part of it. I don’t know what we need to do as a team going forward. I know something is going to have to be done,” Woodson said.
Apparently, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in Oakland. Al Davis sacked Lane Kiffin and Mike Shanahan four games into their final seasons with the Raiders and son Mark Davis has done the same with Allen. In a poll last night, 65% of PFR readers said that Allen deserved to lose his job.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
La Canfora’s Latest: London, Finley, Raiders
Thanks to a report from CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, we learned earlier today that the internal struggles of the Dolphins organization goes beyond head coach Joe Philbin‘s reluctance to affirm Ryan Tannehill as the team’s starter earlier this week. That report has since been supported by a similar article from Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, and La Canfora has a few other notes worth passing along:
- La Canfora writes that the movement to put an NFL franchise in London continues to gain momentum, and he describes how the league would handle some of the logistical challenges inherent in such a a decision.
- In a series of tweets, La Canfora notes that league commissioner Roger Goodell and Players’ Association head DeMaurice Smith met this week to discuss a new personal conduct policy, which they hope to have in place by the Super Bowl. La Canfora expands on those tweets in a full-length article.
- In a separate piece, he writes that, although teams continues to explore the possibilities of acquiring free agent TE Jermichael Finley–the Ravens, having lost Dennis Pitta for the season, were the most recent team to monitor his progress–it is “99 percent certain” that Finley will not play in 2014.
- In an article concerning the uncertainty of the Oakland front office, La Canfora writes that Raiders owner Mark Davis, who “has considered firing his coach and general manager several times in recent years,” continues to speak with his confidants about a potential shake-up. If Davis does end up firing current head coach Dennis Allen, offensive coordinator Greg Olson is a strong candidate to take over as interim head coach.