The Las Vegas Raiders have decided to fire head coach Josh McDaniels after just one season and eight games into the six-year deal he signed in the 2022 offseason. The Raiders have named linebackers coach and former NFL linebacker Antonio Pierce as their interim head coach. However, here are five candidates who could replace McDaniels this offseason.
Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia was once an interim head coach for the Raiders after they fired Jon Gruden in 2021 and he performed admirably in his brief stint as the head coach. Despite the ongoing drama surrounding Gruden’s firing and former first-round wide receiver Henry Ruggs’ legal matter, Bisaccia was able to rally the troops and finish strong.
The team went 7-5 in his 12 games as interim head coach and he led them to a postseason berth, gaining the respect of the locker room in the process. It would be awesome to see Bisaccia get a chance to be the full-time Raiders head coach.
Ben Johnson has been a hot name in the head coaching circuit dating back to last offseason, however, he decided to stay put in Detroit as the Lions offensive coordinator. Johnson has done a remarkable job turning the Lions offense into one of the best in the NFL.
John is only 37 years old and his addition would be welcomed as a young fresh face with the opportunity to revitalize an offense that has Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Michael Mayer at its disposal.
Kellen Moore is another young offensive coordinator who is highly regarded and interviewed for multiple head coaching jobs. He spent four seasons in Dallas as offensive coordinator for the Cowboys and helped turn them into a hyper-efficient offense before accepting a job to work with quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers in Los Angeles this offseason.
Like Johnson, Moore would be a fun hire as a young, offensive-minded coach who can rejuvenate an offense filled with talented playmakers.
While Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel gets all the credit for the Dolphins elite offense, Frank Smith has been his right-hand man. Smith has helped develop quarterback Tua Tagovailoa into a legitimate MVP candidate and would likely get the opportunity to work with a young quarterback in Las Vegas given the Raiders’ likelihood to have a high draft pick this offseason.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is the only candidate other than Bisaccia who has had experience as an NFL head coach. However, what separates Quinn from the rest of the pack is that he’s been the head coach of a team that went to the Super Bowl. Quinn led the Atlanta Falcons to an appearance in Super Bowl 51 and has a 43-42 record as a head coach.
Not to mention, in the same season that he led the Falcons to the Super Bowl, he coached former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan to an MVP season. Currently the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, he’s turned their defense into one of the fiercest units in the NFL during his tenure. He’d make for a great hire for a Raiders team desperately in need of establishing a culture.
