- Raheem Morris was 26 years old when he got his first NFL coaching job as a defensive assistant under new head coach Jon Gruden.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rode an all-time defensive performance to three dominant playoff wins, capturing their first Super Bowl championship in franchise history, and cementing Hall of Fame status for several starters on defense.
It was a perfect career start for Morris, who would eventually replace Gruden as Tampa Bay’s head coach, and now 22 years later the two could meet again, as rivals for the same job.
Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, who has a great reputation when it comes to Raiders scoops, mentioned Morris along with several other head coaching candidates who could make sense or already have connections with the franchise as they search for their next head coach.
From Antonio Pierce to Jim Harbaugh to Ben Johnson to (maybe) Jon Gruden, the @Raiders will have no shortage of head coach options. A look at some of the names already being bandied about: https://t.co/RymRZU6UVp
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) December 1, 2023
The Raiders fired Gruden in 2021 following a scandal in which he was accused of writing offensive e-mails, a termination that the former head coach is still fighting in court.
Jon David Gruden (born August 17, 1963) is an American professional football coach who is a consultant for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL).
He held his first head coaching position with the Raiders franchise during their Oakland tenure from 1998 to 2001, where he won two consecutive division titles and made an AFC Championship Game appearance.
Gruden was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002, which he led to their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVII the same season. At age 39, he was the then-youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl.
He served as Tampa Bay"s head coach through 2008, setting the franchise record for wins, but made only two further playoff runs. In 2018, Gruden returned to the Raiders as their head coach. In response, Tampa Bay removed Gruden from the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.
It’s not the first time that Morris has been listed as a great candidate for the Raiders.
The Raiders are currently being coached by interim head coach Antonio Pierce and he has gone 2-3 at the helm. But Las Vegas didn’t keep interim Rich Bisaccia after he went 7-5 as the interim in 2021, so a wide search is to be expected.
𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: Former #Raiders HC Jon Gruden could be a " candidate to watch" to potentially return as the team’s head coach, @VinnyBonsignore recently suggested.
"Gruden’s inclusion [as a candidate] is curious at first glance given how his last Raiders tenure ended. But… pic.twitter.com/058NPO84M8
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) December 14, 2023
Morris is having perhaps his best season as a defensive coordinator, if not as a coach in general, because he was handed a defense with no stars other than Aaron Donald and they’ve helped keep L.A. in the playoff hunt.
As the Bucs head coach, Morris went 17-31 in three seasons, going 10-6 in 2010. He went 4-7 as the interim head coach for the Falcons in 2020, after Atlanta fired Dan Quinn, now the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys and certainly also a person under consideration for all open head coaching gigs next year.
Raheem Morris (born September 3, 1976) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL).
He previously served as head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011 and interim head coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. Morris also was an assistant coach for the Falcons, Washington Redskins, and the Buccaneers.
Morris is overdue for another chance to be a head coach.
Fans reacted as follows:
What has AP done to not be the coach next yr? Lost 2 competitive games to 2 of the best teams in nfl? Right now he’s the guy I’d say I’d bring in a new OC and QB but keep AP
— Tom (@augus_vincent) December 1, 2023
I’m over the HC articles. Mark Davis needs to hire a GM and have little to no involvement in the HC hiring. Let the GM do his job. Davis has constantly failed doing it the other way. #Raiders
— Law Bish (@Law_Bish) December 1, 2023
Last time Davis hired a GM to actually do his job (Reggie McKenzie) things where trending in the right direction… ish
— C Diddy (@riseabovve) December 1, 2023
They need stability go get someone else. No Gruden or AP there are plenty great football minds out there that can bring a good staff. It takes a good all around staff to clean the organization up
— KAPONO (@dkapono) December 1, 2023
Nope I prefer he sues the league and exposes everyone.
— NFLComedySkits (@NFLComedySkits) December 14, 2023
Raiders completely in the mud 😭😭😭
— Ben (@HowUBenFeller) December 14, 2023
He can return and trade away all their star players again
— Alex Matthew (Golf Legend) (@alexxz4nder) December 14, 2023
They’re paying him $10M/year anyway, might as well have him do something
— Teebs McGeebs (@TeebsMcGeebs) December 14, 2023
