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Oakland Raiders interim head coach Tom Cable was named the team’s official head coach today (he’ll be introduced at a presser tomorrow). Coach Cable went 4-8 after replacing Lane Kiffin last season, including winning his last two games against Houston and Tampa Bay. Apparently that was all the proof owner Al Davis needed to make his decision even though it comes over a month after those final victories and subsequent interviews with Kevin Gilbride (N.Y. Giants) and Winston Moss (Green Bay Packers).

This is not a surprise. I think keeping coach Cable is the only sensible decision right now. The team needs some kind of stability because defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, running backs coach Tom Rathman and linebackers coach Don Martindale are all history. Plus, coach Cable actually seems to get along with Mr. Davis and he wants the challenge this job presents — which is more than I can say for a lot of qualified coaches.

Source: Raiders.com, Photo: Newscom

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Tom Cable Named Head Coach of Raiders

Apparently so desperate for a head coaching position is Jim Fassel, he resorted to sending a handwritten letter (nice touch) to Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis expressing his respect and admiration for Mr. Davis and his desire to obtain the worst job in the National Football League. Uggh. I can’t understand why anyone would want to put themselves through the torture of attempting to accomplish the seemingly impossible — which is making winners out of the modern day Oakland Raiders under 79-year-old owner Al Davis. If Coach Fassel is hired in 2009, he’ll be the 6th man to try in the past eight years.

Source: ESPN.com

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Jim Fassel Wants to Coach Raiders

As anticipated, Oakland Raiders cornerback DeAngelo Hall was released by the team today. NFL.com reported “DeAngelo was practical, saying he understood and was not angry.” Of course he understands. My guess is he’s elated to get out of the black hole:

“This is a blessing. I have learned it’s not all about the money. I’ve learned now it’s more about the team. Ain’t all money good money. I took the bait. I went for the money and I didn’t research the situation. But I don’t think I would trade this for the world. Just to meet (owner) Al Davis, to get to pick his brain, to know the kind of person he is and the impression he had on football is good for me to say that I know him.”

It’s pretty easy to say it isn’t about the money when you’ve got $8 million in your pocket. Just about any player in the National Football League would serve their time in Oakland for $1 million/game. At any rate, several teams have apparently already contacted DeAngelo and his agent about playing for them. Which comes as no surprise. DeAngelo still has the ability to be one of the best corners in the game. He’ll be in a new uniform soon.

Source: NFL.com

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DeAngelo Hall Isn’t Angry

Former Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin had his chance to talk today. After Raiders owner Al Davis trashed his ex-head coach in front of the whole world during a lengthy presser yesterday, coach Kiffin was interviewed by Sirius NFL Radio today and refused to retaliate against Mr. Davis:

“I’m very appreciative of the opportunity and I’m not going to stoop to his level and start firing back. As crazy as it sounds, I felt bad for Al. I was embarrassed watching him up there. It was sad to see. But you have a real bad feeling in your stomach when things are being said like that about you, especially a number of false things being said. So it was very tough but a lot of support from people around the country came immediately after that. I think you guys figured it out pretty well by watching it and I don’t really need to comment.”

All I figured out was that Al Davis hates Lane Kiffin and he wanted the whole world to know about it — in no uncertain terms. He was right and Lane was wrong. That was his message, loud and clear. I think coach Kiffin took the high road here. I really don’t feel Mr. Davis should have gone into such detail, airing the team’s dirty laundry in public like that. I know he felt justified in doing so, but it certainly wasn’t a very classy move on his part. I pity the next head coach of the Raiders. Well, I pity Tom Cable right now. And then I pity whoever takes over after him. The Oakland Raiders. What a mess.

Source: Sirius NFL Radio

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Lane Kiffin Feels Bad For Al Davis

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The Oakland Raiders fired head coach Lane Kiffin today. That makes two head coach firings in two days as St. Louis Rams head coach Scott Linehan was dismissed from his job yesterday. This marks the first time since at least 1970 that two head coaches have been fired before the fifth game of the season.

Coach Kiffin’s dismissal had been seriously rumored since the Raiders lost their season-opener to Denver. And unlike coach Linehan’s firing yesterday, this one wasn’t a friendly farewell. Raiders owner Al Davis not only brought the anticipated announcement in a presser today, but he went so far as to call coach Kiffin a “flat-out liar”, a “disgrace to the organization” and also questioned his coaching and personnel decisions among other things. He repeatedly said he was firing coach Kiffin “for cause” and even read from a warning letter he had sent to coach Kiffin before the team’s win against Kansas City a couple weeks ago.

Yes, Mr. Davis opened his vault and dumped it all over Lane Kiffin. He went on and on for what seemed like an eternity, hurling negative comments at coach Kiffin all the while. I can’t possibly pull all the wild quotes from this mess.

Offensive line coach Tom Cable will now take over the team with a bye week at his disposal. But he will be the fifth coach to lead the Raiders since Jon Gruden left after the 2001 season. Which makes me think this high turnover job is no longer one any outside coach in his right mind would want. The Oakland Raiders head coaching position has been a veritable revolving door for the past six seasons and the results aren’t pretty — an NFL-worst 20-64 record during that time. And Al Davis is ultimately responsible. He hired coach Kiffin and he took responsibility for making what he called “the wrong decision.” You just wonder how many more wrong decisions he’ll make before the Raiders can turn things around and “Just win, baby.”

Source: ESPN.com, Photo: Newscom

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Raiders Fire Head Coach Lane Kiffin

Earlier today, FoxSports.com was reporting that Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin would be fired as early as today. Of course, these reports have been circulating since the Raiders’ Week 1 loss to the Denver Broncos, so I took it with a grain of salt. And as it turns out, coach Kiffin was not fired today. And he was clearly agitated by the constant questions about being fired. In his Monday presser he said:

“Until I’m told by Al Davis that I’m not the head coach here anymore, we’re going to keep plugging away the same way we have been. So I’ve not been told by Al Davis that I’m not the head coach, so until he tells me directly we’ll keep plugging away. I’m not going to — there’s so many conversations around here that go on and to get into that — I’m not going to get into that right now ….. There’s no way I’m quitting.”

One notion was that Al Davis would “remove” Coach Kiffin and assign him internally in an effort to get him to quit. Then he wouldn’t owe Coach K. the balance of his contract. This latest Oakland Raiders soap opera continues.

Sources: FoxSports.com, Raiders.com

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When Will Lane Kiffin Be Fired?

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I wonder if Oakland Raiders rookie running back Darren McFadden saved his head coach’s job today? As much as last week was tumultuous for Lane Kiffin and the Raiders after getting lambasted by the Denver Broncos, this week should be just the opposite. Darren exploded for 164 yards on just 21 carries (he also caught a pass for nine yards) and the heavily criticized Oakland defense held the Kansas City Chiefs to 190 total yards from scrimmage (and held Larry Johnson to 22 yards rushing) in a convincing 23-8 win.

Coach Kiffin and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan aired their thoughts and opinions through the media during the week and word was that Raiders owner Al Davis was getting ready to give his head coach his walking papers. But that firing might have to wait at least another week. Nobody gets fired coming off a win in the second game of a season. Do they?

Sources: NFL.com, MercuryNews.com, Photo: Newscom

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Darren McFadden Saves Lane Kiffin’s Job

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After being shredded by the Denver Broncos offense to the tune of 441 yards from scrimmage on Kickoff Weekend, Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin pretty much said defensive coordinator Rob Ryan runs the defense and consults with owner Al Davis on how to do the job. Apparently, Coach Kiffin has no say — which is kind of strange for a head coach. But Coach Ryan took full responsibility today and defended Mr. Davis:

“That’s all on me. I put the game plan in, I run the defense, and it’s all on me. I just want to set it straight because I’ve been here five years and I don’t think people necessarily have the right story. I’m disappointed, but I just wanted to tell my side of the story for once because there’s so many other things that come out where I have to read it and take it and I just want the truth as I know the truth ….. I meet with Mr. Davis in the offseason. I don’t meet with him on game plans or come up with all this. It’s amazing when things like this come out when we have a bad week. Put it on me, that’s where it belongs. I’m the man that runs the defense.”

He won’t be running the defense for much longer if the supposedly revamped Raiders D keeps playing like this. And Coach Kiffin’s job will probably be in jeopardy, too. According to numbers compiled by Stats LLC, the Raiders blitzed just four times on 59 total plays against the Broncos. Who am I to tell Coach Ryan how to run his defense? But it seems to me when you’re not attacking, you’re being attacked. And when you have two premiere corners (Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAngelo Hall) — maybe the best in the NFL — all the more reason to bring the heat more often, not less. Kansas City and Buffalo (Oakland’s next two opponents) like the sounds of this laid back game plan.

Sources: Raiders.com, ESPN.com, Photo: Newscom

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Rob Ryan Takes Blame for Raiders Defense