Daily Madden: Challenges For New Raiders Coach
OAKLAND (KCBS) - The Oakland Raiders have hired 39-year-old Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as their new head coach. Allen is the Raiders sixth head coach in the last ten years.
"The Raiders have made a lot of changes in players and coaches, and thrown a lot of stuff up against the wall that really hasn't stuck for awhile," John Madden told the KCBS morning crew. "You hope that (general manager) Reggie McKenzie and the new coach... stay and really put a program together."
With the death of Raiders owner and manager Al Davis, Allen will be the first Raiders coach who will pick his own assistants.
"I think it's a big deal," Madden said. "You kind of have to have the same philosophy. If you hire that person going in, they kind of understand what your program is going to be...Then you don't have this program or that program or this philosophy or that philosophy. You kind of can get just one philosophy."
Madden said he was disturbed to hear that two New York Giants players said they were targeting 49ers punt returner Kyle Williams in the NFC Championship game because of his concussion history.
"It's something that you just have to stop," the former coach said. "You're trying to change a culture in a little way, and then you realize you haven't gotten there yet... When you use the concussion protocol as a competitive advantage, you're really misconstruing the whole thing."
Madden said there could be a troubling side-effect.
"What I worry about is not as much guys going after (injured players), but guys trying to hide concussions, hide injuries. Because if you admit it and you expose it and you talk about it, then it can be used against you." (7:55)
Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.
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