Getty Former interim Raiders head coach Rich Bisaccia.
Once it became obvious the Las Vegas Raiders wouldn’t be giving Rich Bisaccia the head coaching job there was some hope that he’d consider staying on as special teams coordinator. That was never going to happen as it would be awkward for new head coach Josh McDaniels to keep around the man he’s replacing. Bisaccia received consideration for the Jacksonville Jaguars head coaching opening but they decided to go with Doug Pederson.
Bisaccia was easily one of the most sought-after special teams coordinators available on the market and the Chicago Bears showed some interest in him. However, the coach has decided to join a different NFC North team. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Green Bay Packers hired Bisaccia to coach special teams.
This is a big move for the Packers as special teams were a big reason they lost in the playoffs this season. The team has consistently had one of the worst special teams units in the NFL and Bisaccia has a history of success. While the Raiders special teams have never been elite under him, they are typically a solid unit.
Raiders special teams finishes under Rich Bisaccia in Rick Gosselin’s yearly rankings:
2021: 11th (took over as HC)
2020: 16th
2019: 25th
2018: 19th
with Dallas:
2017: 5th
2016: 11th
Bisaccia not only helps improve the special teams unit, but he also brings a lot of great leadership qualities. Players love him and he should quickly become one of the most popular coaches on Matt LaFleur’s staff.
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Raiders Still Looking for Special Teams Coordinator
With Bisaccia off to Green Bay, the Raiders should be looking at special teams coordinators right now. There’s already been one named linked to the team. According to Mike Klis of 9News, Las Vegas has interviewed former Denver Broncos special teams coordinator Tom McMahon.
Raiders are interviewing Broncos special teams coordinator Tom McMahon today per source. McMahon and Josh McDaniels were on same St Louis Rams staff in 2011. #9sports
As Klis noted, McMahon worked with McDaniels in 2011. Rick Gosselin of Sports Illustrated ranked the Broncos as the 27th best special teams unit in the NFL this season. That’s not exactly inspiring for Raiders fans. He’s been a special teams coordinator for over a decade so maybe it was just a bad fit in Denver. That said, the Raiders would be wise to continue to explore their options.
What About Joe Judge?
The most obvious person who could end up being the Raiders’ special teams coordinator is Joe Judge. The recently fired New York Giants head coach spent a long time working with McDaniels when they were both on the New England Patriots staff. The Raiders also just hired his former defensive coordinator in Patrick Graham.
In 2019, Judge’s last season as the Patriots’ special teams coordinator, Gosselin ranked New England’s special teams as third-best in the NFL. He failed as a head coach but he knows how to field an elite special teams unit. The Raiders have already brought in some former Patriots guys so Judge would be a good fit with the staff. McDaniels will likely go with somebody he’s familiar with so Judge and McMahon have strong chances of being on the Raiders staff in a couple of weeks.
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