Oakland Raiders: 5 Reasons Why It’s Okay To Be A Fan Again
By Kevin Saito
May 26, 2015; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio at press conference at organized team activities at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
A Real, Honest to Goodness Coaching Staff
Ever since Jon Gruden was shipped off to Tampa Bay, the only thing the Raiders have been looking for more consistently than a quarterback, is a head coach. Since the 2002 Super Bowl run, Oakland has gone through seven different head coaches – eight if you count interim coach Tony Sparano among the casualties.
With the hiring of Jack Del Rio this offseason, it looks like the revolving door in the head coaches office seems to finally have been closed. Armed with a solid, working knowledge of the Raiders, on both sides of the ball – something Mark Davis noted was a big factor in Del Rio’s hiring – Del Rio brings a solid defensive pedigree, as well as a track record of success both as a player, and as a coach.
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Del Rio may very well be one of the most experienced head coaches the Raiders have ever hired. And he’s assembled a coaching staff that A) combined, has about a century’s worth of experience in the NFL, as players and coaches, and B) has the sort of no-nonsense, blue collar work ethic and intensely fiery demeanor that Del Rio does.
There is almost nothing that Del Rio and his staff havent’ seen and/or done in this league. Very little, if anything, will surprise them and they will be very good about making adjustments on the fly – something that previous coaching regimes failed to do.
Too many times in the past – especially in the very recent past – the Raiders have looked out of sorts. They’ve looked unprepared, overmatched, confused, and completely out of synch. That is not going to happen with Del Rio at the helm. He’s very detail oriented, very hands on with his team, and very committed to basic, fundamentally sound football.
The Raiders’ coaching staff may not be one of the flashier, sexier staffs in the league, but Raider fans will take solid work ethic, and balls out effort every day of the week over, say – a Rex Ryan blusterfest.
Next: A Roster Loaded With Talent