Oakland Raiders: Speculating on the next head coach

November 19, 12:44 AMOakland Raiders ExaminerPatrick Patterson

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Since Lane Kiffin was rudely shown the door by Al Davis, the question has been who would be the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders. Tom Cable has the interim in front of his name, and with his dismal record has very little chance of retaining the job once the Raiders get home from their season ending trip to Tampa Bay. Here's a look at a few of the guys who could emerge as a possible replacement.

Rob Ryan:

He was mentioned as a possible candidate to replace Art Shell following the 2006 season when Kiffin was ultimately hired. He was also retained by Al Davis over Kiffin's objections, which was one of the early cracks in what would become the rift between Al Davis and Kiffin. Much of the luster he carried after the 06 season has disappeared as far as the Raider Nation goes, but Al values loyalty and Ryan has been a loyal soldier. If Davis gets rebuffed by a couple of candidates, Ryan could well be his fallback.

Jim Harbaugh:

Harbaugh is doing a good job of turning around the Stanford Cardinal. He has ties to Oakland having been a quarterbacks coach for the Raiders. He is also known for having a close relationship with Al Davis, which is something that would be essential for any future Raider coach after the Kiffin debacle. This idea was floated as early as August by Thoughts from the Dark Side writer Rob Calonge. Davis tends to like offensive minded first time head coaches, and Harbaugh fits the bill. The question is whether he would leave his cushy job in Palo Alto to cross the San Mateo Bridge and work in the Al Davis spotlight.

Jim Fassell: 

Fassell made headlines this last weekend when rumors surfaced that he had sent Al Davis a letter expressing his interest in coaching the Raiders. Fassell has had success at the NFL level, but he is known as a disciplinarian coach, and Al is known not to like coaches like that. That may mean that he is what the Raiders need. He has been an assistant coach with the Raiders in the past, so he is aware of how it is to work under Al.

Tom Cable:

He has not yet officially been fired, so there is the possibility that he will keep his job. Considering the play of the Raiders under him, this is unlikely.

James Lofton:

Lofton was considered a favorite to take over when Kiffin was let go. He was rumored to have been given the job right before Kiffin was hired, but he remained with the Chargers at that time. The play of the wide receivers have been underwhelming since he has taken over as wide receiver coach, but he is likely on Davis's short list.