Angry Pope
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Daisher revamps special teams
New coach brings military approach to Oakland
By PHIL BARBER
NAPA - Early in training camp, special-teams whiz Jarrod Cooper declared that the Raiders' kicking teams would win football games this season. It has happened already. Last Monday, with the team looking sketchy on offense and middling on defense, the special teams came through with a takeaway and a long kickoff return setting up two easy field goals. That was the difference in a 16-13 victory.
"And tonight wasn't even the best show," Cooper said in the post-game locker room. "(Return man) Chris Carr is dying to get in the end zone. I missed one block, or he probably would have had six on one return."
The source of Cooper's confidence is Ted Daisher, a trim, 51-year-old coach with a military bearing and a white crew cut . Daisher came to Oakland with little NFL experience and even less tolerance for goofing off.
"He came in and he was very demanding," said Randal Williams, another special-teams standout. "I think the guys just really took a step back at first and asked themselves, 'Who is this guy?'"
"Some people didn't like it," Cooper said. "Well, basically, nobody liked it."
Part of the problem was Daisher's predecessor. Joe Avezzano stormed and cursed around the field until his face turned crimson. But he was fairly laid back off the field. He won over his players with humor and charm. Compare that to Daisher, who runs his meetings like a Marine.
"When his meeting starts, it's eyes up, hands down, and he has the full attention of the whole room," long snapper Adam Treu said. "If somebody's talking in the back, he'll stop, turn around and look at them until it ceases, and then he'll continue."
Daisher also expects full effort during special-teams drills, something that wasn't always demanded in the past here. Needless to say, the transition was bumpy.
Slowly, however - cue the inspirational soundtrack - Daisher began to convince his players he was legitimate.
"Here's why I don't think it was a hard sell," Ryan Riddle said. "Because he wasn't trying to sell people to like him. He was trying to sell a style of special teams."
That style already looks like an improvement. Under the Raiders' last two coordinators, Avezzano and Bob Casullo, the special teams were generally mediocre. They were worse than that last year .
In searching for a new special-teams assistant, Raiders coach Art Shell looked for someone who shared his attention to detail.
He got a recommendation from John Harbaugh, the Eagles' special-teams coordinator, who suggested the guy who had helped him in Philadelphia for two seasons. That was Daisher, who spent 22 seasons as a college assistant.
"We interviewed quite a few people and it didn't feel comfortable with a lot of the people we interviewed," Shell said. "This guy came in and I said, 'He's the one.'"
EXTRA POINTS
Shell said he expects WR Jerry Porter to play against the 49ers tonight. LG Barry Sims (elbow) and LB (Robert Thomas) are unlikely to suit up. Sims had an MRI exam, which showed no tear of the right triceps.
New coach brings military approach to Oakland
By PHIL BARBER
NAPA - Early in training camp, special-teams whiz Jarrod Cooper declared that the Raiders' kicking teams would win football games this season. It has happened already. Last Monday, with the team looking sketchy on offense and middling on defense, the special teams came through with a takeaway and a long kickoff return setting up two easy field goals. That was the difference in a 16-13 victory.
"And tonight wasn't even the best show," Cooper said in the post-game locker room. "(Return man) Chris Carr is dying to get in the end zone. I missed one block, or he probably would have had six on one return."
The source of Cooper's confidence is Ted Daisher, a trim, 51-year-old coach with a military bearing and a white crew cut . Daisher came to Oakland with little NFL experience and even less tolerance for goofing off.
"He came in and he was very demanding," said Randal Williams, another special-teams standout. "I think the guys just really took a step back at first and asked themselves, 'Who is this guy?'"
"Some people didn't like it," Cooper said. "Well, basically, nobody liked it."
Part of the problem was Daisher's predecessor. Joe Avezzano stormed and cursed around the field until his face turned crimson. But he was fairly laid back off the field. He won over his players with humor and charm. Compare that to Daisher, who runs his meetings like a Marine.
"When his meeting starts, it's eyes up, hands down, and he has the full attention of the whole room," long snapper Adam Treu said. "If somebody's talking in the back, he'll stop, turn around and look at them until it ceases, and then he'll continue."
Daisher also expects full effort during special-teams drills, something that wasn't always demanded in the past here. Needless to say, the transition was bumpy.
Slowly, however - cue the inspirational soundtrack - Daisher began to convince his players he was legitimate.
"Here's why I don't think it was a hard sell," Ryan Riddle said. "Because he wasn't trying to sell people to like him. He was trying to sell a style of special teams."
That style already looks like an improvement. Under the Raiders' last two coordinators, Avezzano and Bob Casullo, the special teams were generally mediocre. They were worse than that last year .
In searching for a new special-teams assistant, Raiders coach Art Shell looked for someone who shared his attention to detail.
He got a recommendation from John Harbaugh, the Eagles' special-teams coordinator, who suggested the guy who had helped him in Philadelphia for two seasons. That was Daisher, who spent 22 seasons as a college assistant.
"We interviewed quite a few people and it didn't feel comfortable with a lot of the people we interviewed," Shell said. "This guy came in and I said, 'He's the one.'"
EXTRA POINTS
Shell said he expects WR Jerry Porter to play against the 49ers tonight. LG Barry Sims (elbow) and LB (Robert Thomas) are unlikely to suit up. Sims had an MRI exam, which showed no tear of the right triceps.
