Few NFL teams have had the kind of coaching instability seen by the Raiders over the last few decades. Jack Del Rio is poised to change that.
The Raiders and Del Rio agreed to a four-year contract extension through the 2020 season, which would be Del Rio’s sixth with the franchise. If Del Rio coaches out those four years, he’ll be the first coach to stay with the Raiders for six seasons since Tom Flores coached the team from 1979 to 1987.
Since Flores, Al Davis and his son, current owner Mark Davis, haven’t shown a lot of patience with coaches. The Raiders were coached by Mike Shanahan, Art Shell, Mike White, Joe Bugel, Jon Gruden, Bill Callahan, Norv Turner, Shell again, Lane Kiffin, Tom Cable, Hue Jackson, Dennis Allen and Tony Sparano between Flores’s retirement and Del Rio’s arrival.
With Del Rio getting the Raiders to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2002, there’s every reason to belive the Raiders -- finally -- have the right coach in place.