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The Las Vegas Raiders only had it in them to remove the interim tag from one key employee. The team made Antonio Pierce the full-time head coach, which likely led to interim general manager Champ Kelly not landing the full-time job.
However, Kelly was certainly in the mix and is technically still under contract with the team as assistant general manager. The Raiders hired Tom Telesco as general manager but it appears the hope is that Kelly stays on staff. ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez spoke to owner Mark Davis following Telesco’s January 24 introductory press conference and made it clear he “hopes” to retain Kelly.
“I think he brings a lot to this organization,” Davis told Gutierrez. “I have a lot of respect for him and what he was able to do.”
Kelly is under contract and the Raiders could keep him in the building unless he gets a general manager job elsewhere. The Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders were two teams showing interest but they have already filled their openings. The Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots are the two teams left with general manager openings and neither has interviewed Kelly. It’s looking likely that Davis will get his wish.
Champ Kelly Was at Tom Telesco’s Press Conference
Another good sign that Champ Kelly is going to stick around is the fact that he was in attendance for Tom Telesco’s press conference, per a January 24 X post from KSNV News 3 Las Vegas’ Jesse Merrick.
Kelly is still an employee of the Raiders so if he wasn’t at the press conference, it would be a likely sign he wasn’t coming back. Now, he could still be in the mix of a general manager job but signs are pointing toward him staying put in Las Vegas. That’d be a win for the team as he was close to getting the full-time general manager job.
Mark Davis Didn’t Want Rookie GM & HC
Antonio Pierce was who the Raiders players wanted to be the head coach. Mark Davis agreed and hired him. However, Pierce only has two years of coaching experience at the NFL level and this will be the first time he’s the head man in charge for an entire offseason.
Champ Kelly hasn’t been a general manager before so there are unknowns with him. Davis got cold feet about the idea of having a head coach and general manager who didn’t have experience in the roles.
“I was uncomfortable with the concept [of a rookie general manager and rookie head coach] but I didn’t ever say I wouldn’t do it. … No. 1, I had to get the right guy, at the right time, to fit the Raiders,” Davis told Paul Gutierrez.
If the Raiders had gone with a veteran head coach, Kelly may have gotten the general manager job but it looks like Pierce was the more sought-after option. Kelly has been interviewed for general manager jobs several times in the past so it’s a matter of time before he gets a chance to run his own team. For now, it’s looking like he’ll be Tom Telesco’s assistant general manager in 2024.
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