So sold on who Mark Davis wanted for his general manager the Raiders owner acted quickly and decisively in hiring the first -- and only -- man he interviewed for the gig in Reggie McKenzie.The search for a new head coach by McKenzie, meanwhile, has been anything but quick and dirty.
Since McKenzie's introductory media conference on Jan. 10, at least 11 names have been linked to the job -- former Miami interim coach Todd Bowles, Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, Denver defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, New Orleans offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., Chicago offensive coordinator Mike Tice, Philadelphia offensive coordinator Marty Mornhingweg and, of course, a gaggle of Green Bay assistants in Winston Moss (assistant head coachinside linebackers), Dom Capers (defensive coordinator), Darren Perry (secondarysafeties), Joe Philbin (offensive coordinator) and Tom Clements (quarterbacks).RELATED: Bronco coordinators in the mix?MornhinwegTiceCarmichael
And that's not including fan favorites and headliner names like Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher.Last week, McKenzie said he had a "short list" but would not reveal any names on it "until absolutely needed."Fair enough, the Raiders have not publicized, confirmed or denied any of the named potential candidates, even as Bowles reportedly interviewed on Friday and McKenzie was reportedly set to interview McCoy and Allen in Denver on Wednesday.I asked McKenzie in last week's presser if he was on any sort of timeline to hire a head coach."I would like sooner than better," McKenzie said. "But if I have to wait, I'll wait. I'm going to work my tail off to hire the best coach, the best fit. And that's all that's going to matter right now. And that will start now. And however long it takes, that's how long it will take. But we want to get the right guy."You would think there'd be a sense of urgency involved with the search since the talent-rich Senior Bowl is next week in Mobile, Ala.And according to the Miami Herald, the Dolphins have winnowed their list to three finalists -- Bowles, Philbin and McCoy.
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