With Ben Johnson officially headed to Chicago, the Raiders lost their top coaching candidate on Monday, but the original no. 1 candidate for their head coaching vacancy might still be on the market.
Every year, teams’ put out the memo that they drafted the top prospect on the board or landed their no. 1 coaching target. The Raiders can’t do that after more than a week of going all-in on Johnson, but they can still get the coach some believe they were focused on prior to sitting down with Ben Johnson for a three-hour virtual interview.
In the hours after firing former head coach Antonio Pierce, it was reported by two outlets that the decision-makers in Las Vegas delayed Pierce’s firing as they gathered information on (or from) other candidates.
According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, the Raiders were looking into at least two candidates in the days leading up to Pierce’s firing and something about that process is what held up the decision on Pierce.
“I’m told the Raiders have been continuing to look into at least two candidates in particular that have peaked the interest of ownership behind-the-scenes,” Anderson reported on X after Pierce was fired. “The availability and interest of said prospects was what was causing the delay on a official decision on Antonio Pierce.”
Based on what has been reported, the team’s interest in Johnson didn’t take off until the interview.
Now the candidate that has always been near the top of the Raiders’ wish list and is reportedly at the top of their current list is former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
“The Raiders have to turn to their alternatives, and former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is believed to be the Raiders’ top option, according to league sources,” The Athletic’s Vic Tafur reported on Monday night. “Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is also believed to be a strong candidate, but many around the league expect him to wind up with the New Orleans Saints, the team he played for and coached for, or the New York Jets, who he also played for.”
Carroll was considered a top candidate in Chicago, but with the Bears getting Johnson, the Raiders might be Carroll’s best opportunity in this year’s hiring cycle.
At 73 years old, Carroll might not be as selective as other candidates on the market, and that might bode well for the Raiders. With no quarterback and uncertainty all over the roster, Carroll might be the perfect veteran influence to give a sputtering organization direction again.
As others have pointed out, if Carroll does get the job in Las Vegas, it will be interesting to see who he can bring with him as the offensive coordinator. Fixing a stagnant offense in Vegas is going to be arguably the most important, and most difficult, key to returning the Raiders to respectability again.
x: @raidersbeat
Pete would be an Upgrade from any Available except Maybe Kliff Kingsbury who the Raiders Crapped on Last Year by trying to Chump him on a OC Contract….
Exactly. I feel like the Raiders are a RED flag in coaching circles, anyway.
A MARK DAVIS HIRE IS A MARK DAVIS FIRE all right. Who in their right mind would want this job or any job under Mark Davis? A legacy team built on loyalty that has now none at all. It does not matter who they hire, Mark will fire them before they can build anything. (This is no longer the raiders it is just Mark Davis’ team, a ship wreck in the desert.) Mark Davis must sell to keep this mess from further going to hell. In the mean time Boycott, you can not fix stupid.
Right! Dude just can’t run this team. That is a proven. He needs to go away, and take rook GM Brady with him.
Amen!
CHUCKY!!!!!!
Actually he would be a Great choice… took him three years to build a Playoff caliber team before the Commiss assassinated him..
If they hire Pete Carroll, there’s someone smoking crack in Las Vegas offices and upper Ash on are you really kidding me? Are we gonna go backwards or are we gonna go forward? It looks like backwards is the way we’re gonna go please do not hire this guy.
Mark ruin the Raiders I’m not being mad I just my team back the way they use to be somebody step in n help us tired of the losing please
Chucky
John Gruden
Mr Gruden
Mr Chucky
Fuuuuuuuuuuu*@!this is a mess of epic proportions , burn the whole thing to the ground…. at least then they would get back to real men wearing black – but only from the ashes
Eric careful with your words. Burn it to the ground?? How disrespectful period. What is wrong with you?
Monken! Not Carrol.
Monken or Chucky, I’m done.
I don’t care who they get to coach this team if they don’t get a TOP QB They will fail
NO QB NO VICTORYS