Getty Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis.
Since taking over as the Las Vegas Raiders‘ interim head coach, Rich Bisaccia has a 3-3 record. The team hasn’t been consistently terrible but also hasn’t been consistently great. If the team finishes with a mediocre 9-8 or 8-9 record, it will be difficult for them to evaluate if Bisaccia should be the head coach going forward. Considering the circumstances the Raiders have faced since he got promoted, a mediocre record isn’t the worst outcome in the world. Bisaccia also isn’t the most exciting coach going forward as his years as a special teams coordinator means he’s not an offensive or defensive guru.
Even if the Raiders finish with a strong record, owner Mark Davis could look to make a change and hire an exciting candidate. However, he’s “rebuffed inquiries from many interested parties,” according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
“He isn’t ready to go there yet,” a source who has spoken with Davis told La Canfora. “He’s not ready to launch a coaching search. That’s not where he is.”
Apparently, Davis is solely focused on the playoffs right now and has shown little interest in ramping up the coaching search.
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Raiders Job Appealing to Candidates?
GettyLas Vegas Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia.
The Raiders have had one winning season since 2002 and have been one of the most polarizing teams in the NFL during that time. The team has also squandered many good draft picks over the last few years. Due to that, it could be questioned how appealing the Raiders head coaching job would be for possible candidates. Per La Canfora, the answer is very appealing:
Davis has been largely pleased with how his staff and players have responded to the repeated adversity, sources said, but this already is a coveted job, with Davis not known as a meddler, the Raiders enjoying state-of-the-art amenities in Las Vegas and Davis showing his willingness to spend with the 10-year, $100M contract he bestowed to Gruden to lure him back to coaching in 2018. At the time Davis believed he had secured the future of the organization for the long haul, ending a cycle of repeatedly firing coaches and GMs.
Based on La Canfora’s report, it sounds like many candidates would love to get the Raiders job. It makes sense as the team has a good quarterback in Derek Carr and some really good pieces on the roster. Players like Darren Waller, Yannick Ngakoue, Maxx Crosby, Trevon Moehrig, Nate Hobbs and Hunter Renfrow are all players a good coach can build a roster around. The best coaching candidates this year should be taking a long look at the Raiders.
Davis to Evaluate Entire Organization
If the Raiders make the playoffs, it could be easy for Davis to stick with the status quo. Bisaccia is beloved in the locker room and could keep the coaching staff mostly the same. That said, a playoff berth may not save everybody. Davis is planning to evaluate the entire organization, per La Canfora:
Davis will evaluate the entire organization after the season, and is aware that a sweeping reboot might be in order, as Gruden had final say on all football matters in the organization, including personnel, and general manager Mike Mayock, in essence, reported to the coach. The players have rallied around Bisaccia and posted their biggest win of the season Thanksgiving day in Dallas, and at 6-5 are in the thick of a muddled AFC playoff race. Ultimately, the next head coach — whomever he is — would not assume as much power and control as Gruden held, making at least some reconfiguring likely even if he were to retain Mayock and Bisaccia.
The Raiders could be in for a major shakeup this offseason as Davis desperately tries to build a winner in Las Vegas.
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Insider Gives Eye-Opening Update on Raiders’ Coaching Search