Oakland Raiders eyeing Dom Capers as teams next head coach – NFL News Update
The news is flying around the National Football League (NFL) that the Oakland Raiders are looking towards Green Bay Packers' defensive coordinator, Dom Capers, as a possible candidate for the vacant head coach slot.
Oakland Raiders have intensified their man-hunt for a new head coach ever since Hue Jackson was fired by team general manager, Reggie McKenzie, who after sacking Jackson, stated it was time for change, time for a new “era”.
McKenzie, who was the director of football operations for Packers, was hired by the Raiders last Friday, and having spent 18 years with the Packers, enjoys a close relationship with Green Bay’s coach and a strong possibility exists that he may hire a coach
from the Packers' team as well.
McKenzie has sought to impose himself from day one and wasted no time in getting rid of Jackson.
The move proved that he wanted his own man as the new coach and that is what exactly an angry Jackson said after leaving the team.
However, McKenzie will have to wait till the postseason is over before he can interview Dom Capers.
Apart from Capers, McKenzie possibly plans to have other Packers member in the team too, that includes quarterbacks' coach, Tom Clements, offensive coordinator, Joe Philbin, and assistant head coach and inside linebackers' coach, Winston Moss.
It is clear that the new coach of the Raiders will have the power to hire his own staff.
One of the strong contenders for the head coaching position appears to be Todd Bowles.
Bowels proved his worth in the last three games he acted as the interim coach of the Miami Dolphins, in which he led his team 2-1.
The fact that Bowles is a defence specialist and bears a defensive mind appeals to the Raiders' team.
Faced with a defensive line-up that bore the responsibility for the team being wiped out of the playoff contention, the new GM will surely want to take some shots at the defence, and that could possibly have Bowles hired.
Since, apparently the Dolphins seem little interested in keeping Bowles as the head coach, he is very much available for the Raiders’ team.
However, Capers turns out to be one of the strong candidates, as he too is a respected defensive coordinator.
He has been the head coach of the Carolina Panthers from 1995 to 1998, helping them attain the NFC title game in 1996.
Capers then joined as the head coach of the Houston Texans from 2002 to 2005.
The 61-year-old coach enjoys a record of 48-80 as a head coach.
McKenzie, meanwhile, has confirmed that he has a short list of candidates for the head coach position.
He dispelled the notion that the defensive or offensive nature of the candidate will have an impact on his choice, and added that he was not necessarily looking for a coach with former experience in the position.
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