Poor Raiders...

[cowboyfan4life_mark]

Whisenhunt, Petrino not interested in Raiders vacancy

By JOSH DUBOW, AP Sports Writer
February 9, 2006

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and Louisville coach Bobby Petrino have pulled out of consideration for the Oakland Raiders coaching vacancy.

Whisenhunt came to the Bay Area to interview Wednesday with owner Al Davis and team officials, a day after celebrating the Steelers' Super Bowl win with a parade in Pittsburgh.

He told the Raiders on Thursday that he had decided to stay in Pittsburgh for another season, making him one of the top coaching candidates for after next season. Oakland is the only team currently with a head coach opening.

"After coming out here and taking a look, he decided to stay with the Steelers," Eric Metz, Whisenhunt's agent, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"We came out here, had an enjoyable visit, met with Mr. Davis, and Ken likes and respects him."

The Raiders also talked with Petrino, who had previously said he had no interest in the NFL. Louisville assistant sports information director Rocco Gasparro said Petrino will stay at the school.

Oakland has been without a coach since Norv Turner was fired Jan. 3, giving a new coach little time to put together a staff and set his offseason priorities before the scouting combine begins Feb. 22.

Davis has already interviewed Al Saunders, James Lofton and Rod Marinelli, and had talks with former St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz, former Raiders coach Art Shell and Oakland quarterbacks coach John Shoop.

Saunders decided to take a job running the Washington Commanders' offense, Marinelli was hired as Detroit Lions coach, and Martz will be the Lions' offensive coordinator next season.

It is unclear what direction the Raiders will go in now. They could turn back to Shell, who had a 54-38 record with the Raiders and led the team to the AFC championship game following the 1990 season. Shell was fired after going 9-7 in 1994, a move Davis has said he regretted.

Shell, currently the senior vice president of football operations and development for the NFL, had a winning record in four of his five complete seasons. The Raiders have had only three winning seasons since his firing and are just 13-35 the past three seasons.

The Raiders could also try to interview Baltimore offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, who led the Giants to the Super Bowl following the 2000 season with Raiders quarterback Kerry Collins at the helm.

 

[THUMPER]

The Raiders HC job is the black hole of the NFL. Only a guy desperate for a job would take it. I don't feel a bit sorry for them since I can't stand Al Davis. He has ruined a once great franchise by hanging on too long and interfering too much. The dude needs to retire and let someone whose mind is still functional run the team.

 

[cowboyfan4life_mark]

Raiders coaching search looking like Shell game


By Adam Schefter
NFL Analyst


OAHU, Hawaii (Feb. 9, 2006) -- A 16-year-old high school senior threw the biggest block of the off-season.

The 16-year-old son of Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino blocked his dad from taking the Oakland Raiders head coaching job.

Talks between Petrino and the Raiders, which had been ongoing for the past month, were far enough along that it looked to be only a formality before Petrino were introduced as Oakland's next head coach.

Then Petrino's son voiced his objection to leaving Louisville, and talks with the Raiders broke down, Louisville assistant sports information director Rocco Gasparro confirmed.

Petrino didn't say no to the Raiders so much as he said yes to his son. Now the Raiders are back to the beginning of a coaching search that commenced over a month ago.


Art Shell and Al Davis might be working together again soon.
The leading candidate -- if not the only candidate -- is now former Raiders head coach Art Shell, whom the Raiders fired after the 1994 season but who now is expected to arrive in Oakland this weekend to resume talks that started last weekend. With no other candidates on Oakland's radar, it's hard to envision a scenario in which anybody but Shell would get the job.

Another candidate, Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, had an unproductive meeting with the Raiders on Feb. 8. The blind date essentially lacked spark, with neither side being overly impressed with the other. Whisenhunt requested full control of the organization, and the Raiders were unwilling to meet his demands. Then the next day, on the day Petrino backed out, so did Whisenhunt, removing his name from consideration.

Hiring Shell would be a throwback and fallback move for the Raiders, but one that would be met with a warm reception. This offseason, when 10 teams changed NFL head coaches, a minority filled only one -- and that was in a trade, with Herman Edwards going from the Jets to the Chiefs. Minorities failed to land a job in any of the eight head coaching jobs that were filled.

But the Raiders are the last team, and they could buck another trend, hire a minority and give the NFL seven minority head coaches this coming season.

Shell is now the NFL's senior vice president of football operations and development, based out of its New York headquarters. For him it would be a cross-country move, but a move he would like to make

 

[Bob Sacamano]

The Raiders HC job is the black hole of the NFL. Only a guy desperate for a job would take it. I don't feel a bit sorry for them since I can't stand Al Davis. He has ruined a once great franchise by hanging on too long and interfering too much. The dude needs to retire and let someone whose mind is still functional run the team.

the Raiders always take forever to hire a coach, this year is no different

 

[cowboyfan4life_mark]

The Raiders HC job is the black hole of the NFL. Only a guy desperate for a job would take it. I don't feel a bit sorry for them since I can't stand Al Davis. He has ruined a once great franchise by hanging on too long and interfering too much. The dude needs to retire and let someone whose mind is still functional run the team.

Apparently Whisenhunt feels the same way. Says in the article that he will return to Pitt for one more year. Basically saying he prefers a better chance with someone else next year.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Awww no one wants to coach Uncle Al's team :laugh2:

 

[trickblue]

One of three things will happen now:

1) An old retread in the mold of Marion Campbell
2) A totally obscure choice that will catch everyone off-guard
3) Art Shell

 

[Bob Sacamano]

One of three things will happen now:

1) An old retread in the mold of Marion Campbell
2) A totally obscure choice that will catch everyone off-guard
3) Art Shell

where's option 4? AL Davis?

 

[cowboyfan4life_mark]

One of three things will happen now:

1) An old retread in the mold of Marion Campbell
2) A totally obscure choice that will catch everyone off-guard
3) Art Shell

I think that we have a winner.:bravo:

 

[Da Hammer]

HAHA how i wish nobody would take the job and see how Al reacts heading into free agency and the draft

 

[THUMPER]

HAHA how i wish nobody would take the job and see how Al reacts heading into free agency and the draft

I also would like to see something like that happen to see just how he reacts to it.

I hope Art Shell learned his lesson in his previous stint as the Raiders HC and turns it down as well if it is offered to him. He was in a very bad situation yet was able to produce a winner in 4 of his 5 seasons before being dumped by Al.

Davis talks about being loyal to his players but he sure isn't very loyal to his coaches. Madden left because of Al Davis (he was burntout from dealing with Al), Tom Flores was fired after winning 2 SBs with them because they had a bad year, Art Shell was fired after a poor season despite 4 winning seasons. He even scrapped Shanahan and tried to stiff Gruden.

The ultimate irony was when Gruden left the Raiders then took the Bucs to the SB and beat those same Raiders the following year.

Al Davis deserves all the humiliation he can get, I hope no one is willing to take the job.

 

[Hiero]

The Raiders HC job is the black hole of the NFL. Only a guy desperate for a job would take it. I don't feel a bit sorry for them since I can't stand Al Davis. He has ruined a once great franchise by hanging on too long and interfering too much. The dude needs to retire and let someone whose mind is still functional run the team.

Al Davis wants to be the boss, but hes like 10 times worse than Jerry. If I was a coach only way I accept this crap job is if I get full gm control.

 

[ravidubey]

In all fairness, what has Ken Whisenhunt done to demonstrate that he can be both a HC and GM? I also think Davis is a very stubborn person who believes too much in the vertical passing game and he doesn't truly respect those who disagree.

Yes that was Jon Gruden's weakness in Oakland and probably why they lost those playoff games, but all he had was Rich Gannon and so he maximized his effectiveness. Al Davis has to find someone he respects first and go from there.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Raiders | Petrino said no three times
Thu, 9 Feb 2006 19:50:57 -0800

ESPN.com's Chris Mortensen reports University of Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino confirmed that he turned down the Oakland Raiders head coaching job for a third time Wednesday, Feb. 8. The latest offer would have paid him $18 million over five years. Petrino told Mortensen that he was flattered by the Raiders' persistence but that he was committed to Louisville and did not feel his family was ready for a move. Petrino is the only coach to whom the Raiders have offered the position.

Raiders | Fassel spoken to by phone only
Thu, 9 Feb 2006 19:52:58 -0800

ESPN.com reports Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Fassel has spoken with the Oakland Raiders by phone about their head coaching vacancy. However, ESPN.com's John Clayton reports that Fassel has not interviewed in person with the team.

 

[RCowboyFan]

I also would like to see something like that happen to see just how he reacts to it.

I hope Art Shell learned his lesson in his previous stint as the Raiders HC and turns it down as well if it is offered to him. He was in a very bad situation yet was able to produce a winner in 4 of his 5 seasons before being dumped by Al.

Davis talks about being loyal to his players but he sure isn't very loyal to his coaches. Madden left because of Al Davis (he was burntout from dealing with Al), Tom Flores was fired after winning 2 SBs with them because they had a bad year, Art Shell was fired after a poor season despite 4 winning seasons. He even scrapped Shanahan and tried to stiff Gruden.

The ultimate irony was when Gruden left the Raiders then took the Bucs to the SB and beat those same Raiders the following year.

Al Davis deserves all the humiliation he can get, I hope no one is willing to take the job.

Thats not true. Many times it was mentioned that, Madden retired from football coaching because of his fear of flying. He always says he likes and respects Al Davis.

Now other coaches, other than Jon Gruden etc. modern coaches, I dont know much about. But Al Davis does deserve what he is getting. He is what Jerry was during 95-2002 years. Too much control and not enough good decisions.

Its only get crappier for that team now. Although you never know, who expected Raiders to reach SB, after Gruden left? And then they missed another SB with that tuck Rule pretty much. So as much as I dislike Al Davis, he has a good track record still.

 

[Alexander]

One of three things will happen now:

1) An old retread in the mold of Marion Campbell
2) A totally obscure choice that will catch everyone off-guard
3) Art Shell

Shell is the smart bet. He knows how to work under Davis.

The other is Fassel, because of Kerry Collins. One of those two have to be it.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Thats not true. Many times it was mentioned that, Madden retired from football coaching because of his fear of flying. He always says he likes and respects Al Davis.

Now other coaches, other than Jon Gruden etc. modern coaches, I dont know much about. But Al Davis does deserve what he is getting. He is what Jerry was during 95-2002 years. Too much control and not enough good decisions.

Its only get crappier for that team now. Although you never know, who expected Raiders to reach SB, after Gruden left? And then they missed another SB with that tuck Rule pretty much. So as much as I dislike Al Davis, he has a good track record still.

I believe in one of the ESPN chats that the problems with the Raiders is that age may be an issue when it comes to Davis, causing him not to be as sharp as he once was.

And another thing is basically what most believe. The coaches really have no control, over their staff, nor the players. The coach may hand out some disciplinary action, the player makes a bee-line to Davis' office and it's overruled. Not many coaches can operate in that environment, I imagine.

 

[Alexander]

The coach may hand out some disciplinary action, the player makes a bee-line to Davis' office and it's overruled.

Sounds very much like the Barry Switzer/Chan Gailey years where Troy Aikman and the rest of the veterans would go running to Daddy when they didn't like something.

 

[Ashwynn]

ya know, I would hate to be a raider fan.

 

[poke]

wow i never thought i would write anything that was even close to
sounding like an Al Davis fan.........but after reading some of these posts
i have to wonder if very many people know what Al D. has done in pro
football.

1. assistant coach for Chargers and Rams
2. head coach and general manager for Oakland
3. Commisioner of AFL
4. Principal owner and CEO of Oakland
5. Inducted into HOF 1992
6. Chosen by 8 former players to present them at their HOF inductions

having said all that I am still not a big fan of his. But you gotta give the
man the respect he is due. how he runs his team is up to him.
I have always liked the way he "tweaks" the NFL execs noses any time he
gets a chance.
Okay ..history lesson is over. resume Raider bashing, they deserve it !!