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This Search is Different

Unlike in the past, the Raiders are not just looking to plug-in a new head coach to lead the team after the last one was fired. This time the Raiders are looking to rebuild from top to bottom. Starting with the hire of Reggie McKenzie as the new general manager, there are and will be a lot of things different in Oakland this time around.

Reggie McKenzie isn't looking to hire a coach based on who has the best scheme or who has the most experience. While those things do matter, and will factor in on the final equation, they are not the only selling point. Reggie is looking for someone he can work closely with on a day-to-day basis. He wants someone who he can trust, who has the right mindset, and shares the same philosophies as he does. That is why he is making sure that the man he decides to hire as the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders is the "right guy".

McKenzie comes over from Green Bay where Mike McCarthy has been the head coach since 2006. He is a guy who wants to hire a coach and then stick with him and see it through. In the past Al Davis would hire a coach with confidence, but knowing in the back of his head that he would fire him if he didn't produce. At times, it was after only a single season. When you think in those terms, taking a chance on a head coach is no big deal because you can change your mind the next year. On the other hand, there is a lot to be said for continuity. Players and coaches alike will say the same thing, and Raider players have spoken out about it in the past when coaches were fired. When you plan to stick with someone, you have to make sure that your making the right decision today, so that you can live with it tomorrow.

With the Senior Bowl and other scouting events on the horizon, Reggie is pressed for time in the search for his head coach. However, it has only been thirteen days since Reggie McKenzie started his head coaching search. While it may seem like longer to some Raider fans, is two or three weeks really too long when you're searching for a guy who will hopefully lead your team for years to come?

 

 

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