Mark Davis on the Raiders Interim HC and GM: “I’d Like For Them to Get the Job”

Raiders owner Mark Davis won’t be making a decision on his next GM and head coach until after the season, but he would like to give the job to the guys he already has in place.

Davis told The Athletic on Wednesday that the team’s GM/HC search is “wide open” and that the two positions are not necessarily tied to one another.

“[The search is] wide open. But it’s tough at the same time because I do have Antonio and Champ in those positions, and I’d like for them to get the job. So, if I start to feel like that’s definitely the way I’m going to go — which I’m not there — then I don’t want to mislead people in the interview process. So, it’s going to be a really interesting dynamic in trying to keep my mind open to the potential hirings.

I don’t believe you can tie Antonio and Champ at the hip. It’s not both or none. It could be one or the other. I just don’t know. I’m not making a commitment right now. So, in the process, I’m getting a lot of calls from people who have clients who they feel would be great for the job. I’m banking those names, and we’ll see what happens once the season is over.”

The Raiders have four games remaining on the schedule and it will be a pivotal stretch for interim head coach Antonio Pierce. Since Pierce took over, the defense has improved, but the offense (despite it’s $100 million payroll) has been in decline.

To close out the season, Pierce will face the challenge of motivating a team that is dealing with key injuries and has less than a 1 percent chance of making the playoffs.

As for interim GM Champ Kelly, he might have a little positive momentum toward getting the job based on one insider’s take on the situation this week.

“In this case I think Mark [Davis] has a pretty good idea if he wants to go in that direction or not,” The Athletic‘s Vic Tafur said this week on the State of the Nation podcast. “My guess is that he is leaning towards going with Champ Kelly as the GM.

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