Del Rio, Pagano first two coaches to be fired
Raiders coach Jack Del Rio was fired Sunday after the impressive turnaround he engineered for his hometown team in 2016 collapsed with a disappointing sixvictory season.
Del Rio was one of two coaches let go after the regularseason finales Sunday. The Colts dismissed coach Chuck Pagano hours earlier.
Del Rio said owner Mark Davis told him after the Raiders’ 30- 10 road loss to the Chargers that he wouldn’t be retained as coach. Del Rio, who was 25- 23 in three seasons, had signed a four- year contract extension in February after the Raiders ended a 13- year playoff drought with a 12- victory season.
The Raiders followed that up by becoming one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams this season. Theywent 6- 10 for the second- biggest one- season drop in franchise history, leading to Del Rio’s firing and raising speculation that former coach Jon Gruden might be in line for a second stint with the team.
Gruden was traded by the Raiders to the Buccaneers after the 2001 season and beat his former team for the Super Bowl title the next season. He was fired by the Buccaneers after the 2008 season and has been in the broadcast booth since. ESPN reported Saturday the Raiders were interested in bringing Gruden back.
Davis always has been intrigued about a reunion with Gruden, but it seemed unlikely the Raiders would be in line for another change heading into this season. Del Rio had been the Raiders’ ninth coach since Gruden left but was the only one to get them to the playoffs.
He took over a three- victory team in 2015 and immediately changed the culture and helped the Raiders win seven games that season. The Raiders had a breakthrough season with 12 victories in 2016, but it ended in disappointment when a broken leg for quarterback Derek Carr in Week 16 led to a first- round playoff exit.
Pagano was fired by owner Jim Irsay after the Colts’ 22- 13 home victory against the Texans. He compiled a 53- 43 record in six seasons.
The victory ended a sixgame losing streak but couldn’t cloak the fact that the Colts missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season, the first time that had happened since a seven- year drought in 1988- 94.
Pagano wasn’t entirely at fault for the Colts’ results. The early successes and steady decline during his tenure coincided perfectly with quarterback Andrew Luck’s health.
When Luck started every game during Pagano’s first three seasons, the Colts won 11 games each year, reached the playoffs three times and advanced one step deeper in the postseason each year.
When the injuries struck, the Colts crashed. Luck missed 26 of 48 games with a variety of health issues the last three seasons, resulting in consecutive 8- 8 finishes before the 4- 12 debacle this season, during which Luck never took a snap.
But Irsay didn’t think Luck’s absence was enough reason to keep Pagano around this time.