Hue Jackson wanted more power, and he wound up with no power.
He’s out after going 8-8 in his only season as Raiders head coach. Jackson, who is friends with new G.M. Reggie McKenzie, was stunned by the development.
“He’s going to gut this place,” Jackson told Henry Wofford of CSNBayArea.com. “He [McKenzie] wants to bring in his own guys. No job is safe right now.”
That sounds like a promising development for the Raiders. While some will connect Jackson’s firing with the instability of the last decade in Oakland, McKenzie is making a clean break from the past.
Raiders fans should want a fresh start, with changes at every level of the coaching staff and management. Get rid of the dysfunction. McKenzie is going to bring in people from Green Bay that he trusts.
Jackson was understandably shaken Tuesday, reportedly so upset he could barely speak. He got caught in the crossfire.
That’s unfortunate timing, but ultimately keeping Jackson would have added to the dysfunction. McKenzie reportedly said it didn’t have to do with Jackson’s bad relationship with some of his players.
Jackson’s all-in trade for Carson Palmer was only one example that Jackson was looking out for Jackson in 2011, and not the Raiders organization long-term.
Jackson ultimately took a big swing in his one year in Oakland. He missed. The team didn’t make the playoffs and Jackson coached an undisciplined, inconsistent team. Just like Tom Cable.
McKenzie is the new leader in Oakland. His vision didn’t include Jackson, so the team is better off not wasting a year or two before McKenzie brought in a coach he truly wanted.