Al Saunders - Pro Football Rumors

Coaching Notes: Raiders, Giants, Browns

January 10th, 2015 at 9:29am CST by Ben Levine

Let’s check out some notable coaching rumors as we start off the weekend…

Raiders owner Mark Davis “loves” Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, it’s uncertain whether the organization is willing to wait for Del Rio to finish up his playoff run with Denver.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the Giants have requested permission to interview Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson for their defensive coordinator opening. Johnson has coached since 2000, but he has yet to hold a coordinator position.
The Browns have requested permission to interview a trio of NFL coaches for their offensive coordinator opening (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter): 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Raiders offensive assistant Al Saunders and current Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. The organization is also set to interview former Bears head coach Marc Trestman,
Rapoport tweets that Roman’s interview with the Browns is on Monday, so a hiring shouldn’t be expected this weekend.
Bills running back coach Tyrone Wheatley will be joining Jim Harbaugh‘s staff at Michigan, tweets John Kryk of the Toronto Sun. Wheatley was previously a coach at Syracuse, Ohio Northern and Eastern Michigan.

Raiders Name Tony Sparano Interim Coach

September 30th, 2014 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

1:32pm: The Raiders have made the decision official, announcing in a press release that Sparano is the team’s new interim head coach

12:58pm: After firing head coach Dennis Allen last night, the Raiders have decided on his interim replacement, according to Jim Trotter of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the club will announce Tony Sparano as the new head coach later this afternoon. Sparano had previously been acting as Oakland’s assistant head coach and offensive line coach.

For Sparano, who will turn 53 next week, this will be his second chance at an NFL head coaching job. The new Raiders interim coach previously led the Dolphins to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth in 2008, his first year with the club. However, consecutive losing seasons followed, culminating with his firing in 2011 when Miami got off to a 4-9 start. Overall, Sparano led the Dolphins to a 29-32 record, with no postseason victories.

Scott Bair and Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com had previously reported (via Twitter) that the Raiders were deciding between Sparano and senior offensive assistant Al Saunders. Owner Mark Davis was said to prefer Saunders, but appears to have left the decision up to general manager Reggie McKenzie. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson was viewed as the other internal candidate, and Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle says Olson made a push for the job (Twitter link).

While Sparano takes over for now, the team will likely reevaluate the position after the season. Unless Sparano leads a massive turnaround during the last 12 games, I’d expect the Raiders to consider higher-profile candidates, such as former head coach Jon Gruden. Landing Gruden may be a long shot, but Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that the current ESPN analyst is a big fan of rookie signal-caller Derek Carr.

Raiders Fire Dennis Allen

September 29th, 2014 at 11:00pm CST by Zachary Links

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.