It hasn’t that long since Paul Guenther was fired from his job as the defensive coordinator of the Las Vegas Raiders. Despite that fact, fans are already gunning for a couple of candidates to replace him when the season is over. One name who has been thrown out by fans is Charles Woodson.
The Raiders legend is one of the best defensive players to ever play for the team and should be entering the Hall of Fame very soon. However, skills on the field don’t always translate to skills as a coach. Woodson knows this and made it clear he is not interested in the Raiders job right now.
I appreciate you all for thinking I’d be a great coach, but I’ve never cut my teeth in the business of coaching or have I even considered coaching.. There are far more qualified than me.. Mayock/Gru will find the right person🙏🏿
Woodson is one of the most beloved figures by the Raiders fan base but it would be a mistake to hire him. While he’s one of the greatest defensive backs ever, there’s no indication that he’s ready to be a coach. The Raiders tried bringing in Rod Woodson as an assistant coach and that failed. Great players very rarely make great coaches.
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Perhaps Woodson Could Be Assistant Coach Down the Road
Just because Woodson isn’t ready for the defensive coordinator doesn’t mean he couldn’t become a coach down the road. Bringing him in as an assistant defensive backs coach would be really interesting. Woodson is an excellent leader and used to play for Jon Gruden.
It’s hard to imagine that the Raiders head coach wouldn’t give Woodson a job if he sought it out. That said, it doesn’t seem like the future Hall of Famer is keen on returning to football quite yet. He tried working in media and that didn’t last long. Perhaps he’s content just selling his wine and watching games from home. Maybe one day he’ll get the itch to back into the football and it’s very possible the Raiders would welcome him on the coaching staff.
Former Players Raiders Could Look at for DC Job
It’s still very early in the process but the Raiders should already start thinking about who might take over Guenther’s job at the end of the season. Should the defense continue to falter, Rod Marinelli probably won’t be retaining the job. If they don’t want to keep Marinelli in that position, they could look to one of his proteges.
Kris Richard had success as a defensive coach for the Dallas Cowboys but Mike McCarthy didn’t retain him when he was hired. He was the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks for a few years but was fired after the 2017 season despite not having that bad of a year. Richard also used to play for the Raiders in 2007. He’s much younger than Marinelli and could bring some fresh ideas to a struggling defense.
The Raiders could also look to a linebacker specialist. For years, the team has not gotten good production from their linebackers. Jerod Mayo has impressed with the New England Patriots and Bill Belicheck’s disciples have had success as coordinators elsewhere. Perhaps a guy like Mayo can fix the linebacker issues.
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Charles Woodson Reveals Interest Level in Raiders DC Job