Common knowledge became official Friday when
Dennis Allen was named head coach of the Oakland Raiders. The
Raiders issued a release announcing a news conference to introduce
Allen on Monday at noon at the club facility in Alameda. Allen, 39,
replaces Hue Jackson, fired by general manager Reggie McKenzie
after an 8-8 season, with McKenzie saying he wanted to hire his
“own guy.”
Common knowledge became official Friday when Dennis Allen was named head coach of the Oakland Raiders.
The Raiders issued a release announcing a news conference to introduce Allen on Monday at noon at the club facility in Alameda.
Allen, 39, replaces Hue Jackson, fired by general manager Reggie McKenzie after an 8-8 season, with McKenzie saying he wanted to hire his “own guy.”
Contract terms were not revealed, although Comcast SportsNet Bay Area reported it as a four-year deal.
The Denver Broncos had already acknowledged Allen’s departure, with coach John Fox telling The Denver Post on Wednesday it was a “great opportunity” for a defensive coordinator hired only a year ago.
Allen is the first Raiders head coach with a defensive background since Al Davis hired John Madden in 1969.
McKenzie will look to Allen to bring stability to an organization that will have its 10th head coach since returning to Oakland in 1995 and the seventh over the past 10 seasons.
McKenzie said at the news conference announcing his hiring as G.M. on Jan. 10 that the structure will be similar to what he experienced for 18 seasons working for the Green Bay Packers.
Allen will have complete control of the on-field operations such as practice schedules, choosing starting lineups and playing time and systems of offensive and defensive football.
He will have the freedom to choose his coaching staff, which may or may not include some members of Jackson’s staff. Two assistants – defensive line coach Mike Waufle and wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal – have moved on to the St. Louis Rams and New York Jets, respectively.
When Davis was operating as G.M., he had final say on assistant coaches and hired some himself, determined active and inactive players each week on game day and had ideas he wanted implemented, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
