The Oakland Raiders have lined up a long list of head coaching candidates in the franchise's search for a permanent coach, and their pool of potential hires only seems to be growing by the day. Who're the newest names on everybody's lips? What's Mark Davis' plan for his second full coaching search? We look to answer these questions and more in our Raiders Rumors Roundup For Sunday 1/4.
Raiders to interview Cardinals DC Todd Bowles
The Oakland Raiders requested an interview with Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles shortly after the end of the 2014 regular season, and that interview will take place sometime during the upcoming week, per a report by Levi Damien of Silver & Black Pride.
Bowles has been instrumental in the Cardinals defense's rise to prominence, leading them to the 5th-best scoring defense in all of the NFL this year. 2014 marked Bowles' second season as the Cardinals' defensive coordinator after spending one year as the Philadelphia Eagles' DC.
The 51-year-old Bowles is a coveted coaching prospect during this hiring season, also drawing interview requests from the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, and Atlanta Falcons.
Oakland willing to give Scott Linehan another shot?
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday morning that the Raiders have requested an interview with former St. Louis Rams head coach and current Dallas Cowboys passing game coordinator Scott Linehan:
Raiders requested permission to interview Cowboys passing game coordinator Scott Linehan, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 4, 2015
Linehan was 11-25 in two-plus seasons as the Rams' head coach (2006-08). He was fired four games into the 2008 season, and would reinvigorate his career one year later after being named the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator. Linehan would spend five seasons in that role before joining the Cowboys before the 2014 season. His work with Cowboys QB Tony Romo has been instrumental in the passing game's resurgence for the NFC East champions.
Mark Davis not willing to make the same mistake twice
Raiders owner Mark Davis never built a strong relationship with ousted head coach Dennis Allen, and he's aiming to take precautions against that happening a second time around.
According to Mike Florio of NBC's Pro Football Talk, "the last time Mark Davis hired a coach, he opted for Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Davis reportedly regrets not having a greater role in the process, because he ultimately did not believe he developed the right connection with Allen."
Perhaps that's why the team's coaching search has been so "predictably unpredictable" as Florio terms it, with the Raiders casting a wide net over a variety of candidates in order to find the right fit for Davis and the entire organization.
Follow our Oakland Raiders team page for all the latest Raiders rumors & news fit to print!
Back to the Las Vegas Raiders Newsfeed