Raiders go home wondering who new coach will be.
Replacing coach will take longer than firing did
Long snapper Jon Condo has been with the Raiders since 2006 and has played in one winning season, 2016 under Jack Del Rio. Condo has seen his share of coaching changes, and said he found Del Rio’s firing Sunday probably the most surprising.
“Since 2006-07 and the teams that we had, what Jack has done to bring this organization back to life, so to speak, and give his three years, he built a good team and had some good games,” Condo said.
Condo also has been through a few cycles of Jon Gruden-returns-to-Oakland rumors.
“I guess I’ll believe it when I see it,” Condo said.
As the Raiders cleaned out their lockers Monday, less than 24 hours after a 30-10 loss to the Chargers capped a 6-10 season and preceded Del Rio’s firing, players were caught between the still fresh impact of the head coach’s departure and the possibility of Gruden’s return.
The Raiders improved from three to seven wins in Del Rio’s first season in 2015 and to 12 wins in his second, reaching the postseason for the first time since 2002. It resonated especially with players who had been with the organization in leaner years.
Del Rio “came here and changed the attitude of the whole program, the whole atmosphere,” fullback Jamize Olawale said. “He came in here and was able to turn things around.”
Safety Reggie Nelson, who broke into the NFL under Del Rio in Jacksonville, said Sunday’s move left him numb.
“That’s my coach,” Nelson said. “I came here to win. And we fell short this year.”
The Raiders’ six-win dropoff was the second largest in
franchise history from one season to the next, behind only a drop from 11 wins to four in 2003. And even before owner Mark Davis made Del Rio’s firing official, rumors had started to swirl about a potential reunion between the Raiders and Gruden, who coached in Oakland from 1998 through 2001.
Linebacker NaVorro Bowman, a free agent this offseason, said he finds the Gruden possibility exciting.
“You know what he’s done in the past,” Bowman said. “You know he understands the game of football, both sides. And he’s studied the quarterback position inside and out. So he’s a guy that is a wellknown critic in this game, and a coach as well. Look forward to seeing what happens.”
The Raiders’ vacancy likely won’t be filled as abruptly as it opened. An ESPN spokesman tweeted Monday that Gruden is scheduled to work Saturday’s AFC wild-card game in his current role as an analyst. Under the league’s Rooney Rule, the Raiders also must interview at least one minority candidate for their head-coaching job.
Still, Gruden reportedly already has started lining up a coaching staff. The New York Daily News reported interest by Gruden in current Jets offensive coordinator John Morton, who previously worked as a receivers coach with New Orleans (2015-16) and the 49ers (2011-14). Morton also was an offensive assistant for the Raiders from 2002 through ’04.
Gruden also has been linked to Cincinnati’s Paul Guenther, the Bengals’ defensive coordinator since 2014. Under Guenther, Cincinnati’s defense ranked second in the NFL in points allowed in 2015 (17.4) and eighth in 2016 (19.7). Guenther reportedly is not under contract with the Bengals for next season.
An NFL.com report also suggested one of Gruden’s former quarterbacks with the Raiders, Rich Gannon, as a potential assistant. Gannon is an analyst for CBS and was in the booth for the Raiders’ finale against the Chargers on Sunday.
Neither Gruden nor the Raiders have confirmed interest between the parties. Gruden, 55, had a 40-28 record in his four seasons with the Raiders, with two playoff appearances, before being traded to Tampa Bay after the 2001 season. He owns a 100-85 career record and won a Super Bowl after the 2002 season with the Buccaneers, defeating the Raiders 48-21.
“From what I’ve heard, he’s a good coach,” Nelson said. “Whoever they bring in, they’ve got a great team here.”
Several players said they know Gruden, who was in the booth for the Raiders’ Christmas night loss to the Eagles, more for his work on “Monday Night Football.”
“I did run into him in the elevator at the hotel in Philadelphia,” kicker Giorgio Tavecchio said, “so I hope I made a good first impression.”