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ERIC GILMORE: TIMES COLUMNIST
Raiders follow antiquated plan
By Eric Gilmore
TIMES COLUMNIST
The Minnesota Vikings fired coach Mike Tice minutes after their season finale Jan. 1. Five days later, they hired Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress as their new coach.
Barely a week after their season finale, the Kansas City Chiefs sent a fourth-round draft to the New York Jets, clearing the way for them to hire Jets coach Herm Edwards.
The New York Jets quickly identified their man -- New England Patriots defensive coordinator Eric Mangini -- and hired him 11 days after cutting Edwards loose.
For most NFL teams searching for a new coach, that's how it's done. You do your research. You quickly pinpoint your target. You offer a competitive salary and hire your coach.
Then there's the Raiders' way or, more specifically, Al Davis' way. He bides his time as the days and weeks drag on. He searches almost aimlessly for the perfect Raiders coach. You know, a supposed offensive genius who's desperate for a job and willing to work cheap for a demanding, meddlesome owner.
Twenty-five days after firing Norv Turner, Davis still is looking for a new coach, still lining up candidates.
One week he's interviewing Raiders quarterbacks coach John Shoop. The next week it's former St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz.
After the Super Bowl, Davis plans to interview Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt.
Nine NFL teams have hired new coaches. Only the Raiders are still searching.
You get the feeling that the longer this Rube Goldberg-esque search continues, the more likely it is that Davis will pull another Turner-like surprise at the last minute.
Even those who continue to drink the silver and black Kool-Aid, who continue to believe in the greatness of the Raiders and of Davis have to be concerned.
Just consider the past five coaches Davis hired, each one after extensive searches: Mike White, Joe Bugel, Jon Gruden, Bill Callahan and Turner.
That's one home run -- Gruden -- and four strikeouts.
Davis could have done better than that if he had worn a blindfold and thrown darts at a board filled with the names of available coaches.
It's not too late for Davis to try that tack. Better yet, he could loosen his purse strings and promise to stop meddling so much. Of course that will happen when pigs fly.
Two years ago, Turner became a serious candidate only after Sean Payton pulled out of the running and signed a contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys to remain their assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach.
When Davis introduced Turner to the media, he mispronounced his first name, calling him "Nor-vell." In retrospect, we should have known then that this last-minute marriage was doomed.
This year, Davis is dawdling again. He interviewed Al Saunders, Rod Marinelli and James Lofton early in the search. Saunders and Marinelli already have taken other jobs.
Two other potential candidates -- Fresno State's Pat Hill and Louisville's Bobby Petrino -- decided to stay put.
It was clear weeks before the season ended that Turner was toast. If Davis knew he was going to fire Turner, you'd think he'd have a solid plan, a firm idea of whom he'd like to hire. As often as Davis fires coaches, you'd think he'd have coaching candidates ranked on a board at team headquarters, as if they were draft prospects.
Apparently not.
On the day Davis fired Turner, he said he didn't expect to interview any of his assistant coaches for the top job.
Check that.
Shoop interviewed for the Raiders job late last week.
On the day Davis fired Turner, he said Martz's health problems -- he was sidelined most of this season with a bacterial infection of his heart -- made him an unlikely candidate.
Wrong again.
Whisenhunt didn't appear to be on the Raiders' radar screen earlier in the postseason. They didn't interview him during a brief window when he was available to talk.
It was only after the Steelers' offense put up big numbers in the playoffs that Whisenhunt became a prime target.
Whisenhunt has been the Steelers' offensive coordinator for two years. Why did it take a strong postseason to grab the Raiders' attention?
In a way, this reminds you of Davis' infatuation with Super Bowl MVPs. Or had you forgotten Larry Brown and Desmond Howard?
It's hard to imagine that Whisenhunt would be desperate enough to take the Raiders job. He can wait until next year when better jobs will open and he'll be an ultra-hot candidate.
Between now and the end of the Super Bowl, when Whisenhunt will become free to talk, there's no telling how many more Raiders coaching candidates will surface. There's no telling how much longer this search will last.
Hey, you can't rush greatness.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/13735264.htm
Raiders follow antiquated plan
By Eric Gilmore
TIMES COLUMNIST
The Minnesota Vikings fired coach Mike Tice minutes after their season finale Jan. 1. Five days later, they hired Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress as their new coach.
Barely a week after their season finale, the Kansas City Chiefs sent a fourth-round draft to the New York Jets, clearing the way for them to hire Jets coach Herm Edwards.
The New York Jets quickly identified their man -- New England Patriots defensive coordinator Eric Mangini -- and hired him 11 days after cutting Edwards loose.
For most NFL teams searching for a new coach, that's how it's done. You do your research. You quickly pinpoint your target. You offer a competitive salary and hire your coach.
Then there's the Raiders' way or, more specifically, Al Davis' way. He bides his time as the days and weeks drag on. He searches almost aimlessly for the perfect Raiders coach. You know, a supposed offensive genius who's desperate for a job and willing to work cheap for a demanding, meddlesome owner.
Twenty-five days after firing Norv Turner, Davis still is looking for a new coach, still lining up candidates.
One week he's interviewing Raiders quarterbacks coach John Shoop. The next week it's former St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz.
After the Super Bowl, Davis plans to interview Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt.
Nine NFL teams have hired new coaches. Only the Raiders are still searching.
You get the feeling that the longer this Rube Goldberg-esque search continues, the more likely it is that Davis will pull another Turner-like surprise at the last minute.
Even those who continue to drink the silver and black Kool-Aid, who continue to believe in the greatness of the Raiders and of Davis have to be concerned.
Just consider the past five coaches Davis hired, each one after extensive searches: Mike White, Joe Bugel, Jon Gruden, Bill Callahan and Turner.
That's one home run -- Gruden -- and four strikeouts.
Davis could have done better than that if he had worn a blindfold and thrown darts at a board filled with the names of available coaches.
It's not too late for Davis to try that tack. Better yet, he could loosen his purse strings and promise to stop meddling so much. Of course that will happen when pigs fly.
Two years ago, Turner became a serious candidate only after Sean Payton pulled out of the running and signed a contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys to remain their assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach.
When Davis introduced Turner to the media, he mispronounced his first name, calling him "Nor-vell." In retrospect, we should have known then that this last-minute marriage was doomed.
This year, Davis is dawdling again. He interviewed Al Saunders, Rod Marinelli and James Lofton early in the search. Saunders and Marinelli already have taken other jobs.
Two other potential candidates -- Fresno State's Pat Hill and Louisville's Bobby Petrino -- decided to stay put.
It was clear weeks before the season ended that Turner was toast. If Davis knew he was going to fire Turner, you'd think he'd have a solid plan, a firm idea of whom he'd like to hire. As often as Davis fires coaches, you'd think he'd have coaching candidates ranked on a board at team headquarters, as if they were draft prospects.
Apparently not.
On the day Davis fired Turner, he said he didn't expect to interview any of his assistant coaches for the top job.
Check that.
Shoop interviewed for the Raiders job late last week.
On the day Davis fired Turner, he said Martz's health problems -- he was sidelined most of this season with a bacterial infection of his heart -- made him an unlikely candidate.
Wrong again.
Whisenhunt didn't appear to be on the Raiders' radar screen earlier in the postseason. They didn't interview him during a brief window when he was available to talk.
It was only after the Steelers' offense put up big numbers in the playoffs that Whisenhunt became a prime target.
Whisenhunt has been the Steelers' offensive coordinator for two years. Why did it take a strong postseason to grab the Raiders' attention?
In a way, this reminds you of Davis' infatuation with Super Bowl MVPs. Or had you forgotten Larry Brown and Desmond Howard?
It's hard to imagine that Whisenhunt would be desperate enough to take the Raiders job. He can wait until next year when better jobs will open and he'll be an ultra-hot candidate.
Between now and the end of the Super Bowl, when Whisenhunt will become free to talk, there's no telling how many more Raiders coaching candidates will surface. There's no telling how much longer this search will last.
Hey, you can't rush greatness.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/13735264.htm
