Getty Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The stars appeared to be aligning for Josh McDaniels to finally make his return to being a head coach. The longtime New England Patriots offensive coordinator has been picky with where he’ll coach next despite interest in the past.
The Las Vegas Raiders looked to be crafting the perfect situation for him. They interviewed Patriots’ pro personnel director Dave Ziegler, who could be McDaniels’ choice for general manager if he is to be a head coach.
Former McDaniels assistant in Denver, Don “Wink” Martindale, recently became a free agent and figured to be a natural pick to be the defensive coordinator for the Raiders in this scenario. There was a lot of buzz around the idea of quickly becoming the West Coast version of the Patriots. However, that may not be the case anymore.
According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, the Raiders are quickly losing interest in McDaniels and Ziegler.
“McDaniels apparently had been calling coaches around the league about putting together a staff, but it appears something happened in the last 24 hours. League sources don’t know if the issue was about compensation or the power structure in Las Vegas or both, but it seems Ziegler and McDaniels are not the leaders in the clubhouse anymore,” Tafur wrote on January 26.
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Why Would Raiders Sour on McDaniels?
As Tafur reported, it’s not entirely clear why the Raiders have started to sour on McDaniels. Perhaps the coach wanted too much control or a better candidate became available. Obviously, longtime New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton announced he was leaving the team earlier in the week. Perhaps Raiders owner Mark Davis thinks he can woo the Super Bowl winner, but that is unlikely as Payton appears to want a year off.
It’s possible that somebody came in and talked Davis out of the idea of hiring McDaniels. The coach’s brief tenure as the Broncos’ head coach was marred with controversy and a poor product on the field. Replacing loved interim head coach Rich Bisaccia with a coach that previously failed in McDaniels could be a major issue in the locker room.
It’s a lot easier to replace Bisaccia with a big name like Payton who has won a Super Bowl. Regardless, McDaniels isn’t dead in the water yet but it’s looking like the Raiders could go in a different direction.
Las Vegas is still planning to interview McDaniels, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. While he may not be the favorite, it’s possible that he still has a chance.
Raiders requested today a head coach interview with Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, per league source. McDaniels now expected to interview with the Raiders.
Are Raiders Eyeing Jim Harbaugh?
The name that’s been linked to the Raiders for the longest has been Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. Bruce Feldman of The Athletic even reported that he would take the job if offered. Considering his connections to the franchise and previous success as the San Francisco 49ers head coach, it should be something for Davis to consider. It’d be a lot easier to sell Harbaugh to the players than a guy like McDaniels.
According to Tafur, the Raiders haven’t actually shown interest in the coach yet but he also reported that Davis isn’t talking to the media at all right now. For fans who want Harbaugh to get the job, McDaniels no longer being the front runner is great news.
Las Vegas is taking its time making a decision. Harbaugh makes a lot of sense but it’s anybody’s guess who will be the Raiders’ next head coach.
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