The Oakland Raiders are having yet another troubling season. They are currently 4-11 and sit in last place of the AFC West, securing their 11th consecutive non-winning season.
Head coach Dennis Allen has taken a lot of heat this year in his second year of coaching the Raiders. The team finished with a 4-12 record in 2012, and this year looks to be no different as they will face Denver on Sunday.
The Raiders appear to be a poorly coached team and Allen’s time in Oakland may be over as soon as the season ends. So, who are some possible replacements for the young head coach?
The most rumored is Jon Gruden, who had much success with the silver and black. Gruden, or Chucky, as he was nicknamed in Oakland, was the head coach of the Raiders for four years (1998-2001). Over those four years they won the division twice and made it to the AFC Championship game and AFC Divisional Game in back-to-back years. Gruden’s record with the Raiders was 40-28. He didn’t have a losing season with the Raiders over that period of time.
After his time in Oakland, he moved on to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and led them to a Superbowl victory against the Raiders in 2002.
The rumors of Gruden returning have been going on for awhile now. It’s been reported that he is intrigued by Oakland, and some of his fellow players in Rich Gannon and Jon Ritchie have stated they don’t think he’s had closure in Oakland and that he is intrigued by the situation that is the Oakland Raiders of late.
Would Gruden leave his Monday Night Football analyst position to coach the Raiders and would he actually be able to turn this team around and get them back to their winnings ways? Possibly, if the price was right, because, after all, money talks.
If the Raiders indeed fire Allen for Gruden, most of Raider Nation would rejoice, as they’d be gaining an experienced coach who has emotional ties to the organization.
While there aren’t many other rumors besides that of Gruden, there are a few other possibilities.
Jon Gruden’s brother, Jay Gruden, has been rumored once or twice. He is an offensive minded coach who has had success with the Cincinnati Bengals. He was offered a head coaching job with the Indianapolis Colts, but in the end turned it down to stay in Cincy.
Another viable and good potential option would be David Shaw from Stanford. He has some experience in the NFL and even with the Raiders, as he served as the quarterback coach in 2001.
Jack Del Rio could also be a potential option. While it hasn’t been rumored, he is a guy who has coaching experience and is also and East Bay native.
As the season comes to an end, there are many questions surrounding the Raiders including the coaching position. It’s been reported that Mark Davis has declined Allen’s request to extend deals for assistant coaches with expiring contracts. The Raiders will likely explore the market this offseason for both players and coaches. They will also have a lot more money to work with.
Allen has made many questionable calls as the head coach of the Raiders which may just cost him his job. Players such as Charles Woodson have come to the defense of their head coach, as he stated Allen doesn’t have all the tools he needs and it is unfair to judge or critique him right now. That being said, the poor decision making and plain bad coaching have put him in the hot seat.
The Gruden rumors keep surfacing, but he’s sitting pretty with his ESPN job right now. The Raiders could use an established coach like Gruden in Oakland, if Allen is fired. But, who knows, Reggie McKenzie and Mark Davis may opt to give Allen another chance next season with more weapons to work with.