Oakland Raiders: 5 Reasons Fans Can Be Optimistic About 2015

Jan 16, 2015; Alameda, CA, USA; Jack Del Rio at press conference to announce his hiring as Oakland Raiders head coach at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

 An Experienced and Competent Coaching Staff

Dennis Allen is probably a nice guy. By most accounts, he is. He’s unfortunately, just not head coaching material. Raider fans will likely never understand what it was McKenzie saw in the guy. He was inept as a head coach, and never really attempted to connect with his team.

In his three plus seasons at the helm, the Raiders never progressed and never improved. He brought in coordinators who were as inept at their jobs as he was, and firmly believed that the talent needed to fit the game plan, rather than taking the approach of formatting a gameplan to best accentuate the talent. It was painfully clear that they never put their personnel in a position to maximize their talents, let alone in a position to succeed.

The result of the unholy trifecta of Allen-Tarver-Olson was a whole bunch of losing, and a further tarnishing of the Raider brand.

But this season, Davis and McKenzie have brought in coaches with experience. Coaches who have been around the block a time or two, and coaches who have seen it all before. Del Rio, as a head coach, has had some measure of success, but his mental make up, and his blue collar work ethic is what makes him the perfect coach for this squad.

There is no doubt that Del Rio, Norton, Musgrave, and all of their coaches will tailor the gameplan around the talent they have on the roster. They will maximize their strengths, and put them in positions to have some success. They have a long track record in the coaching ranks of doing just that.

Having solid, innovative, and competent leadership is going to benefit this Raiders squad as much as anything. While it may not translate to a Super Bowl win in 2015, it will certainly translate to improved play, and a far better showing this season.

The Raiders are going to be a much more competitive squad this season, and the coaching staff will have a huge hand in their turnaround.

Next: Raiders Will Be Competitive Without Marquee FA's in 2015