Jack in Black: Raiders Hire Del Rio as Head Coach

Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland Raiders have announced that Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio will be the team’s next head coach.  The front office had plenty of time to choose their decision carefully after firing head coach Dennis Allen during the middle of the season in late September.

Del Rio beat out Tony Sparano, who was the interim head coach for 12 games this season for Oakland. This deal has brought a coach, who had a very respectable stint in Jacksonville where he went 68-71 from 2003 to 2011 with two playoff appearances, to a struggling Raiders team.

Del Rio created a competitive team – with limited talent – in Jacksonville and seems to be a great choice to rebuild the Raiders as well.

There have been eight coaches since 2003 in Oakland, during that span the team has not had a playoff appearance or reached a winning record. The Raiders have been a prime example why constant turnover in the organization is not the recipe to create a competitive environment.

Jack Del Rio is a bay area product which makes him familiar to this team already. He helped turn the Broncos defense to be a legitimate threat, as they finished third in total defense this season and led the league in forcing three-and-outs. In 2012, Del Rio’s first season in Denver, the Broncos were second in overall defense, fourth in scoring defense and tied for the league lead in sacks.

First thing on Del Rio’s list of tasks is to fill his coaching staff, as most of the Oakland staff were already on their way out.

All stats courtesy of ESPN