APThe Oakland Raiders announced Saturday evening they have hired Bobby April as special teams coordinator.
April is a two-time special teams coach of the year winning the award in 2004 and 2008, both while a member of the Buffalo Bills coaching staff. April was most recently with the Philadelphia Eagles on Andy Reid’s staff for the past three seasons.
Oakland is April’s seventh stop in the NFL in 21 seasons as an assistant coach. He previously spent time with the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams, Bills and Eagles. He also served as assistant head coach for his final three seasons in Buffalo under head coach Dick Jauron.
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A laughable hire.
Cool beans
This is the last piece needed for the Raiders puzzle to be completed. I see Superbowl in their near future. Bobby April is one helluva special teams coach. Lucky Reid didn’t snatch him.
Great hire
This is ok with me!!!
I realize this is a professional football forum. But perhaps our editors will allow this exception: “RIP Stan Musial.” You were a class act. And you will be missed. The consummate role model.
Excellent hire and just what the doctor ordered.
Wish he was still in Buffalo. Things would be different had Buffalo kept Perry Fewell as HC. Raiders.. your special teams will be solid.
He came to Philly from Buffalo touted as the best Special Teams coordinator in football. Special Teams got worse every year that he was here. Maybe a change in scenery will everyone some good.
The Eagles special team unit was a disaster under him.
As like the Eagles fans for the last 3 years, the Raider fans will be wondering were their Special Teams are at. Terrible on kick-off & punt coverage. He was highly anticipated when he first got to Philly, then it was like, ‘WTF.’ Maybe a change of scenery will help.
April fools again. This man is a fraud and flat out poor coach.
In Pittsburgh, his teams were often referred to as April’s fools.
They can have him. He sucked with the Eagles.
Que the haters but this is a great hire.
newagerocker says: Jan 19, 2013 8:41 PM
He came to Philly from Buffalo touted as the best Special Teams coordinator in football. Special Teams got worse every year that he was here. Maybe a change in scenery will everyone some good.
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Everything in Philly got worse every year. ST coaches work with the bottom of the roster. If your team lacks depth, your special teams probably won’t be real good. Oakland lacks depth. They were starting guys that got cut from the bottom of other team’s rosters. April could be God’s gift to the position, but he needs good players. You can’t look at these position coaches in a vacuum.
Yeah. That should about fix it. Now they just need to hire a GM, head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, draft a quarterback, draft a running back, draft offensive linemen, draft linebackers, defensive backs, and safeties.
Special teams in Philly were terrible. Maybe it was personnel. Maybe it was April.
As a Texans fan, I have to wonder when will I read an article stating that Texans special teams coach Joe Marciano has been fired and replaced by Alan Lowry.
I guess I am the only person who saw our pathetic special teams play this season which featured former returner Jacoby Jones becoming an All Pro KR in Baltimore and Trindon Holiday going 11-0 with the Broncos after a 5-0 start in Houston with 2 return touchdowns in the playoffs.
I guess Gary Kubiak is stubborn in thinking Matt Schaub can get the Texans to the Super Bowl, along with his scheme and playcalling not being predictable and conservative. I should add to the stubborn list that he believes in his offensive coaching staff that cannot develop a wide receiver nor like Gary, make adjustments in game nor during the season.
Without Wade Phillips, Gary Kubiak would have been fired by now.
My mom always said “if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything.”
As an Eagles fan, I have nothing to say about Bobby April
hes a very interesting coach to listen to, his PCs are entertaining, but man did the STs suck here in philly under him.
Jonny June wasnt available, LOL!!!
Best hire yet, keep them coming. Next go after Wiz to run the line, and Romonowski to run the LB’s. Keep Saunders where he be. JUST WIN BABY!!!
Good to hear this after the earlier annoucement of who they hired for O.C.
They are crazy…he was beyond terrible in Philly.
Plan on the Raiders keeping a bunch of guys that have no other talent but ST.
Typical Iggles fans, they won the Chip Kelly sweepstakes and they’re still complaining.
Smart hire by the Raiders, they won’t regret it. Lechler and Janikowski are the best kickers in the game and April will get their coverage units up to speed in no time.
Oh, wait. Al’s been gone over a year now (has it been that long already?), Raider hate is back on. Sorry guys.
“Raiders Suck.”
Chip has already retained a few holdovers on the Eagles coaching staff (Duce Staley, Ted Williams). It speaks volumes that he didn’t keep April, a guy who with the Bills was considered one of the best ST guys in the NFL.
People act like it was him that was terrible. No, it wasn’t. He’s a two time special teams coach of the year. If you give him a bunch of losers like the Eagles are, your not going to get great results. You can’t polish a turd and expect it to be pretty. In the end, its still a turd.
This is Manti Te’os favorite Raider Hire, because no one knows who Bobby April is, and isnt likely to ask about him again.
But didn’t everything stink in Philly the last couple years ??! Yeah blame it on the special teams coach.
newagerocker says:
He came to Philly from Buffalo touted as the best Special Teams coordinator in football. Special Teams got worse every year that he was here. Maybe a change in scenery will everyone some good.
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Seems to me the whole team got worse….and worse and worse…..
I love this hire. Ive admired this guy for a long time. Showing his high energy, emotions, and intensity on the sidelines for years. This is exactly the type of guy we need for our lack of special teams. Thank you Dennis and Reggie!
Good hire. Hope he improves the ST unit. Couldn’t get any worse, could it?
As for eagles fans, what group didn’t do terrible in your team last year. There was a lot more going on there than a special teams coach. Lol
This is outstanding! Love this guys coaching!
Once Bobby April got to Philly the special teams weren’t so special. Fact is they stunk.
I’m an Eagles fan but the personnel are horrible save for a few key players: Foles, McCoy, Avant, Maclin, Peters, Cox, Curry, Herreman, Kendricks, Jenkins, Cole and maybe a few others. The backups are atrocious and should have been charged just to put on the uniform. April never had a prayer and he can thank Reid’s poor talent evaluation skills? (NOT) for the ruination of this team. It now needs to be completely overhauled if the Eagles are ever going to compete and be relevant again.
Oakland’s special teams will be better by April.
ronlpitts says:
Jan 19, 2013 10:42 PM
This is Manti Te’os favorite Raider Hire, because no one knows who Bobby April is, and isnt likely to ask about him again.
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Nobody knows who Bobby April is???
How old are you, 10?
Good hire and good sign that Oakland is turning things around
His coaching must have improved after leaving the Rams, because our special teams play was absolutely awful under Bobby April in 2001-2003.
How do all these Philly screw-ups get hired? Reid by KC, Todd Bowles as DC by Arizona, Marty M. by the Jets, and now April to the Raiders? His special teams stunk in Philly. The worst of all of them though is Todd Bowles to Arizona. His defense was bar none the worst in the league.
I’m not sure what to make of this hire; I’m not familiar with him and the reader comments are a mixed bag. I know he’s not dealing with many top-shelf players here but I hope he can coach them up effectively because after what I see of the roster and staff this far I think his guys are going to be getting a lot of work. Again.
This all but guarantees that the Raiders make the Superbowl.
Drew Brees needs an explanation
dougydougdoug says: Jan 19, 2013 9:00 PM
Yeah. That should about fix it. Now they just need to hire a GM, head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, draft a quarterback, draft a running back, draft offensive linemen, draft linebackers, defensive backs, and safeties.
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And after they do all that, maybe they will be good enough to go 7-9 like the Chargers.
Raiders Hire April…… Fired By December
Time will tell if he’s a good hire. Some say yes, some say no. Can it get any worse than what the Raiders had in 2012? We’ll see………..
raiderapologist:
You’re barking up the wrong tree. I’m a fan of all things west (not any one team), but I pick on the Raiders because:
A) the fanatics are easy to bring to a boil
B) the organization REALLY is horrible, from top to bottom
But if you want to break things down, it would be next to impossible to argue that the Chargers didn’t just completely dominate in their restructuring. Sure, there’s no way to know whether the new guys will succeed, but it shows that the owners made a concerted and thoughtful effort to get the best that they could. Contrast that, as usual, with Oakland. They gutted the interior infrastructure, and are only now picking through the crumbs to fill those important coaching positions. That’s what killed them for the last decade – waiting too long, then making poor decisions at the last minute. Granted, that was under the failing Davis, but so far they don’t show many signs of changing.
As for Mr. Toronto:
Other than Eagles fans, who have almost entirely panned that special teams coach, no one else seems to know anything about him, except you. So, sage contributor, please post a few links to the in-depth articles about his career, so we can share some of your special knowledge.
dougydougdoug says: Jan 20, 2013 2:11 PM
But if you want to break things down, it would be next to impossible to argue that the Chargers didn’t just completely dominate in their restructuring. Sure, there’s no way to know whether the new guys will succeed, but it shows that the owners made a concerted and thoughtful effort to get the best that they could. Contrast that, as usual, with Oakland. They gutted the interior infrastructure, and are only now picking through the crumbs to fill those important coaching positions. That’s what killed them for the last decade – waiting too long, then making poor decisions at the last minute. Granted, that was under the failing Davis, but so far they don’t show many signs of changing.
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I don’t see where the Chargers dominated anything. They waited at least one year too many to cut loose the coach and GM, and replaced them with a couple of newbies. Oakland did the same, a year sooner. Knapp was a mistake, but they fired him and the others right after the season, and didn’t wait until February to start interviewing replacements. They even talked to Norval, but they aren’t going to get their first choice on position coaches or coordinators.