GameDay: After Raiders Fire Dennis Allen, Now What?
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) -- Dennis Allen never stood a chance. He was doomed the moment he put his John Hancock on the dotted line.
His general manager botched two drafts and traded for two highly paid and ineffective quarterbacks in Matt Flynn and Matt Schaub. It appears the 2014 draft will be strong, but too late to save Allen's hide.
Allen went 8-28 in two-plus seasons. That's the worst Raider mark since John Kennedy was president. And as bad as the 0-4 record looked it was actually worse. Oakland was competitive in just one game this season, and when Miami demolished Oakland at Wembley Stadium, the London Bridge wasn't the only thing falling down.
Since Jon Gruden's departure following the 2001 season, the Raiders have gone through Bill Callahan, Norv Turner, Art Shell, Lane Kiffin, Tom Cable, Hue Jackson, and Dennis Allen. If you're looking for stability, you're in the wrong place.
Ultimately, of course, the whole mess was created by the late Al Davis and, more recently, his son Mark. The later inherited a team mired in salary cap hell, but that excuse is long gone. This one's on Mark and who can possibly have faith in his next decision?
At season's end, Reggie McKenzie will be sent packing. Then comes the critical decision to hire a reputable coach and give him all the power, or a general manager to hire the coach. But who in their right mind would want this job?
Forget Jon Gruden. He hasn't had THAT many concussions to even consider stepping down from TV heaven to sideline hell. Bill Cowher? Please. It's a laughable proposition to think that any coach with a winning track record would even consider Oakland.
The coach is going to be a retread. A man who wants a second chance. Somebody like Mike Nolan or Hue Jackson. Not necessarily those names, but coaches in that tier.
Jim Harbaugh is the obvious dark horse. There's an issue in Santa Clara that's not going away. Harbaugh could stay in the Bay Area and be a hero for reviving the sagging Raiders franchise. Remember, his first NFL job was as an assistant under Al Davis and he's turned losers into winners with every coaching job he has taken. In fact, Harbaugh might be the only man in the world who actually thinks he could turn the Raiders around.
But I can't see Jed York agreeing to such a scenario. Harbaugh's contract runs through 2015 and if Harbaugh leaves it's going to be for a team in a land far, far away. Unless, York views the Raider situation as a solution to his problem.
See you on TV.