Las Vegas Raiders

Some insiders within the Michigan football program believe head coach Jim Harbaugh would take the same position for the Las Vegas Raiders if offered, per Bruce Feldman of The Athletic:

Multiple sources inside Michigan football told The Athletic this week that they think if Harbaugh is offered the Raiders head coaching job, he’d take it.

They also know that Harbaugh can be hard to read. Their hunches could be wrong—but they also know he’s never coached anywhere longer than four years prior to his seven years and running in Ann Arbor. They've each believed that he, at some point, would want to coach in the NFL again.

Rich Bisaccia has led the Raiders on an interim basis after ex-head coach Jon Gruden resigned in October following the release of emails he sent that included racist, anti-gay and misogynistic comments.

Bisaccia guided the Raiders to a 7-5 regular-season finish that capped a 10-7 regular season. Las Vegas fell 26-19 to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card Round.

Harbaugh just completed his seventh season as Michigan's head coach. He guided the Wolverines to a No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff, where they fell to eventual national champion Georgia in the semifinals.

Harbaugh ultimately led his alma mater to a 12-2 mark, and the team won the Big Ten outright for the first time since 2003.

Prior to his time coaching Michigan, Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers, who went 44-19-1 from 2011-2014 under the ex-NFL quarterback. The 49ers reached the NFC Championship Game each year from 2011-2013, winning it in 2012 before losing in the Super Bowl to the Baltimore Ravens.

Harbaugh also coached at San Diego and Stanford before making the leap back to the NFL.

Rumors are swirling that Harbaugh is at least considering a move back to the pros, with Las Vegas getting the most buzz.

ESPN's Pete Thamel said the following Wednesday on SportsCenter, per Brad Crawford of 247Sports:

I think right now it's early, but the safest thing we can say about Jim Harbaugh is he'll get a new deal this year. Whether that comes from Michigan or the NFL, the Raiders is the definition he'd be most likely to go in the NFL. He has a relationship with Mark Davis. Whether that bonds them together or make things more complicated remains to be seen.

There is at least mutual interest and at least both are peeking at each other now. The Raiders still have to run a process and they need a GM, so there's nothing imminent in the upcoming days, but I do think both sides will feel each other out.

As Vic Tafur of The Athletic noted Tuesday, the Harbaugh-Raiders rumors have been going on for weeks. However, he also wrote that the rumors have come from sources outside Las Vegas, and some other sources threw some cold water on the idea that Harbaugh could bolt to the NFL.

"One person close to the situation in Michigan said Tuesday that the rumors could all be 'hypothetical leverage' for Harbaugh’s contract talks with the university," Tafur wrote. "One well-placed NFL source was stronger, calling a Harbaugh-Raiders connection 'total noise.'"

Harbaugh is currently signed with Michigan through 2025 after inking a contract extension with the school last January.

As for the Raiders, they already have a good candidate in Bisaccia, who led the Raiders to the playoffs despite a difficult season. Prior to Gruden's resignation, wideout Henry Ruggs III was involved in a fatal car crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor. He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death, among other charges, and cut by the team following the crash.

As Tafur noted, Bisaccia was set to speak with Davis Wednesday to interview for the job. He already has a few important backers in quarterback Derek Carr and edge-rusher Maxx Crosby, who both told reporters that they want him back.

"One of the best people I know," Crosby said in part. "One of the most honest dudes I know. And I'll go to bat for him any day of the week. I love that dude to death. He knows that. I appreciate everything he's brought to the table. I hope we keep doing it."

The Raiders are also in the market for a general manager after parting ways with Mike Mayock, who joined the team after the 2018 season.

While the possibility of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh returning to the NFL this offseason has been a talking point at times, some believe he is just using the rumors as leverage for a new contract.

Vic Tafur of The Athletic cited "one person close to the situation at Michigan" who suggested the rumors may be "hypothetical leverage" in such discussions with the Wolverines. An NFL source said any connections between Harbaugh and the Las Vegas Raiders are "total noise."

Frankly, the timing makes sense for Harbaugh to be using whatever he can to gain leverage for a new deal with Michigan.

He just completed his seventh season at the helm of the program and won the Big Ten title for the first time. He also defeated the archrival Ohio State Buckeyes for the first time as a head coach and made the College Football Playoff. It was by far his best season as a coach for his alma mater, and the Wolverines will surely want to keep him aboard if they can.

That Mel Tucker just agreed to a massive 10-year, $95 million contract with the rival Michigan State Spartans in November could also be of note as Harbaugh could see it as something of a benchmark during discussions with Michigan.

Yet the idea of Harbaugh coaching at the NFL level and finding success is anything but far-fetched considering his track record.

He coached the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014 and went 44-19-1 while reaching the playoffs in three of his four years and advancing to the Super Bowl during the 2012 campaign.

The Raiders, who haven't won a playoff game since the 2002 season, would love to come even close to that level of sustained success. It wouldn't be a surprise if they were interested even though Rich Bisaccia guided them to the playoffs in an interim role after Jon Gruden resigned.

However, any connections between the franchise and Harbaugh may just be "noise" if he elects to stay with the Wolverines.            

Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia will interview with the team Wednesday about taking on the job on a permanent basis, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Raiders went 7-5 under Bisaccia after he replaced Jon Gruden and earned a wild-card berth in the NFL playoffs.

The 61-year-old helped guide the team through a difficult period.

Gruden resigned because emails surfaced in which he had used racist, misogynistic and anti-gay language.

Las Vegas also had to part ways with its two first-round picks from the 2020 draft, Henry Ruggs III and Damon Arnette, because of off-field circumstances. Ruggs is facing multiple charges after he was involved in a car crash that killed one woman in Las Vegas. Arnette was released after he made threats while holding a handgun in a video shared on social media.

The Raiders' 2021 season appeared to be going off the rails before they went on a four-game winning streak to clinch a postseason place.

In addition to the team's record, Bisaccia can point to some endorsements from a few key figures within the squad.

"Everybody knows my vote. I made that very clear. I love Rich," defensive end Maxx Crosby said on The Rich Eisen Show (via NFL.com's Grant Gordon). "I think he's the best man for the job. He's come in and done such an amazing job. We won 10 games with a team that's had tragedy, loss, everything you could imagine."

Quarterback Derek Carr offered a similar sentiment and told reporters that Bisaccia is "the right guy."

"He's proven that people listen to him," Carr said. "Our team listens to him. And I love him so much, I'm thankful for him."

The interim coach clearly built a strong rapport with his players.

The Raiders announced Monday they had fired general manager Mike Mayock, which led many to believe a new head coach will be on the way. A GM typically wants to have some input on who's coaching the team, especially when the two positions are open simultaneously.

But Bisaccia will at least have his opportunity to win over ownership and the front office.

The Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly planning to interview Chicago Bears assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly and New England Patriots director of player personnel Dave Ziegler this week for their vacant general manager position.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Kelly will interview Thursday, and Ziegler's interview will take place Friday.

The Raiders fired Mike Mayock on Monday after he spent three seasons as the team's GM.

Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden were both hired in 2018, but Gruden resigned during the 2021 season after emails were leaked that showed him using racist, misogynistic and anti-gay language.

Rich Bisaccia replaced Gruden on an interim basis, led the Raiders to a 7-5 record and helped them reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

The Raiders fell 26-19 to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card Round last weekend.

Overall, the Raiders went 25-24 in Mayock's three seasons at the helm with no AFC West division titles.

Kelly played college football at the University of Kentucky before embarking on an NFL front office career in 2007.

He was with the Denver Broncos in a multitude of roles from 2007 to '14, including college scout, assistant coordinator of pro and college scouting and assistant director of pro personnel.

Kelly joined the Bears as director of pro scouting in 2015 and served in that role through 2016 before getting promoted to assistant director of player personnel in 2017.

Over the past few years, Kelly has earned GM interviews with the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Broncos.

Rapoport referred to Ziegler as the Patriots' de facto GM, although he has never been given that title specifically.

Ziegler spent three seasons in the scouting department with the Broncos before joining the Patriots and spending the past nine years in the organization.

In New England, Ziegler went from assistant director of pro scouting to director of pro personnel to assistant director of player personnel and finally director of player personnel in 2021.

Ziegler played a big role in helping quickly rebuild the Patriots after quarterback Tom Brady's departure, getting them back to the playoffs this season after missing out in 2020.

The Raiders job figures to be a desirable one for potential GM candidates, as they are coming off a playoff season and have no shortage of talent on both sides of the ball.

The biggest immediate decision for whomever the Raiders hire may be whether to move forward with Derek Carr as the starting quarterback.

Add Maxx Crosby to the list of Las Vegas Raiders players putting his support behind interim head coach Rich Bisaccia. 

"Rich is one of a kind," he said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. "Everybody's been asking, what's going to happen? Everybody knows my vote. I made that very clear. I love Rich. I think he's the best man for the job. He's come in and done such an amazing job. We won 10 games with a team that's had tragedy, loss, everything you could imagine. And he's found a way to get a group of guys to come together and win football games in January and December, which is rare. Rich is the real deal, he's a leader of men."

That followed quarterback Derek Carr publicly advocating for Bisaccia after the team's 26-19 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the wild card round.

"We all think that he's the right guy," he told reporters, before adding that he's "never seen a coach with the ear to the locker room like he has."

But Las Vegas' decision to fire general manager Mike Mayock further cast further doubts on Bisaccia's odds of becoming the next head coach, as incoming general managers often prefer to appoint their own candidate. It's unclear if owner Mark Davis will make a decision on head coach before settling on a new general manager. 

"There's due process," Bisaccia told reporters on Monday. "[Davis] has to interview some other candidates, as I well know. I'm very respectful of the process, what it's supposed to look like and how it's supposed to work. And I think we'll be in constant conversation and we'll certainly talk again before the week is over."

But Bisaccia clearly won the locker room over. Amid a turmoil-filled year for the Raiders that included former head coach Jon Gruden leaving the team after misogynistic, racist and anti-gay past emails were publicly leaked, Bisaccia went 7-5 as the interim coach and ended a four-year playoff drought. 

It was just the team's second postseason appearance since 2003. The organization hasn't won a playoff game since reaching the Super Bowl in the 2002 season.

Under Bisaccia, the team finished the regular season on a four-game winning streak, completely changing the narrative of the 2021 campaign. Whether that—and the obvious support of the players—is enough to earn him the permanent gig remains to be seen.  

The Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly expected to have interest in Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles during their head coaching search.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported on the Raiders' interest and added that Bowles is expected to interview with both the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears this week.

Jon Gruden resigned from his post as head coach of the Raiders in October after emails in which he used misogynistic, racist and anti-gay language were leaked.

Rich Bisaccia took over on an interim basis, going 7-5 and leading Las Vegas to the playoffs.

While Bowles' greatest success has come as a defensive coordinator, he has some head coaching experience at his disposal as well.

After going 2-1 with the Miami Dolphins in an interim capacity in 2011, Bowles was hired to be the head coach of the New York Jets in 2015. In four seasons in New York, Bowles posted a 24-40 record.

While the Jets had a losing record in each of his final three seasons, Bowles led them to a 10-6 mark in his first campaign, although they narrowly missed the playoffs.

When the Jets fired Bowles at the conclusion of the 2018 season, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians came calling and named him DC in 2019. Bowles was previously Arians' defensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals from 2013-14.

Over the past two seasons, the Bucs have been celebrated for their offense led by quarterback Tom Brady, but Bowles has helped mold one of the NFL's best defenses as well.

Tampa Bay has been especially good against the run during Bowles' tenure, ranking first in both 2019 and 2020 and third this season.

Also, the Buccaneers were sixth in total defense and eighth in points allowed in 2020, and they ranked 13th in total defense and fifth in points allowed in 2021.

The Tampa defense stepped up in the Bucs' NFC Wild Card Round playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles last weekend as well, holding Philly to 15 points and forcing three turnovers.

If the Raiders hire Bowles, he will join a team with a defense that ranked 14th in yardage allowed and 26th in points allowed this season.

The Raiders do have some supremely talented pieces on that side of the ball, though, in defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue, linebacker Denzel Perryman and safety Johnathan Abram.

While Bisaccia will undoubtedly be a candidate for the Raiders' head coaching job given what he accomplished under difficult circumstances this season, Bowles could be a great fit as well in terms of elevating the defense to the next level.

The Las Vegas Raiders fired general manager Mike Mayock.

"We thank Mike for his contributions over the last three years in helping to form the foundation for the franchise to to build upon in its future," the Raiders said in a statement.

Mayock spent three seasons with the team. The Raiders went 25-24 over that span, reaching the AFC Wild Card Round this year.

Las Vegas will now be looking for both a head coach and GM after Jon Gruden resigned in October after emails he sent containing racist, anti-gay and misogynistic comments became public.

While Mayock helped assemble a postseason-worthy squad, his personnel misfires overshadowed what he did right as the team's GM.

In his first offseason in 2019, Mayock and then-head coach Jon Gruden oversaw a spending spree. The return on the Raiders' investment was minimal:

Most notably, the franchise sent two draft picks to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Antonio Brown, who promptly got a reworked three-year, $50.1 million extension. Brown didn't play a single snap for the team before getting released, ending a brief but tumultuous tenure.

Gruden and Mayock had an opportunity to reshape the Raiders for the future and ultimately set the team back.

Mayock's draft record is mixed as well, which is a trend predating his arrival. ESPN's Paul Gutierrez noted only three of Las Vegas' 18 first-round picks since 2005 have gotten a second contract from the team.

The organization has whiffed especially badly in the first round.

In 2019, the Raiders reached for Clemson defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell, who fell out of the starting lineup by his third season. Josh Jacobs ran for 1,150 yards as a rookie but averaged 4.0 yards per carry in 2020 and 2021.

Neither of the their 2020 first-rounders is still on the roster. Henry Ruggs III was released after he was involved in a car crash that killed one woman. Damon Arnette was jettisoned shortly thereafter, too, after he shared a video in which he threatened somebody while holding a firearm.

Alex Leatherwood, the No. 17 pick in 2021, struggled as a rookie and had to move to the interior of the offensive line.

Mayock did find great value in 2019 fourth-rounder Maxx Crosby and 2019 fifth-rounder Hunter Renfrow, though. Divine Deablo, a third-rounder in the 2021 draft, showed promise.

One got the impression that Gruden, who signed a 10-year, $100 million contract to return to an NFL sideline in 2018, may have had the loudest voice when it came to personnel matters.

Perhaps Mayock deserved the opportunity to work alongside a new head coach and leave more of a stamp on the roster.

Instead, the Raiders will have a clean slate on their coaching staff and in their front office in 2022. Throw in the fact Derek Carr is entering the final year of his contract and there could be major changes coming to Sin City.

The Las Vegas Raiders don't have a vacancy at head coach for the time being, but they are reportedly still doing their homework on potential candidates in case they do decide to move on from interim coach Rich Bisaccia.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Raiders requested interviews with New England Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo as a head coaching candidate and director of player personnel Dave Ziegler as a general manager candidate.

Ziegler may be of more immediate note considering NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the Raiders informed GM Mike Mayock he will not be returning.

While there is still uncertainty about what the AFC West team will do at head coach, Bisaccia deserves plenty of credit for what he did in an interim role this past season.

He took over for the final 12 games of the regular season after Jon Gruden resigned when it was discovered the former coach sent emails with racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language. It was anything but an easy situation for a longtime assistant coach to step into as a first head coaching opportunity, and it didn't get easier when the Raiders released wide receiver Henry Ruggs III after he was charged in a fatal car crash.

But Bisaccia stabilized the team during the stretch run.

Las Vegas won its final four regular-season games to make the playoffs, including a thrilling overtime showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18 on Sunday Night Football to decide the final AFC team in the postseason bracket.

The Raiders ultimately lost by seven on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card Round, but it was a testament to Bisaccia that they even made it that far this season.

As for Bisaccia's potential replacement in Mayo, he is best known for his time as a player for the Patriots. He played linebacker from 2008 through 2015 and won a Super Bowl while building a resume that included Defensive Rookie of the Year, two Pro Bowl nods and an All-Pro selection.

He has been on New England's coaching staff the past three seasons and helped it reach the playoffs in 2021 behind a defense that finished second in the league in points allowed per game.

Ziegler would also come from New England, where he spent the past nine seasons in the scouting department. He was promoted to director of player personnel in 2021 and was previously the assistant director of player personnel, the director of pro personnel and the assistant director of pro scouting at different times.

The Patriots won three Super Bowls and advanced to the playoffs eight times in the past nine seasons with Ziegler on staff, which stands in stark contrast to the Raiders under Mayock.

Las Vegas hired Mayock ahead of the 2019 campaign and went 25-24 with zero playoff wins and one postseason appearance during his three years.

Referees assigned to Saturday's Wild Card Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Las Vegas Raiders are not expected to receive further assignments this postseason.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported referee Jerome Boger and his crew are expected to receive poor grades for their performance, which was highlighted by an errant whistle on a Joe Burrow touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd in the second quarter:

A referee mistakenly blew his whistle, believing Burrow stepped out of bounds as he threw the ball to Boyd in the end zone. After officials huddled, they ruled the whistle occurred after Boyd caught the pass and affirmed the Bengals touchdown.

Replay indicated the whistle clearly blew before Boyd had caught the ball. By rule, the touchdown should have been nullified and the down should have been replayed from its original spot.

The Raiders were incredulous at the call on the field but took a more tactful approach after the game.

"In the moment, we didn't know because we heard a whistle," Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby said. "The ref said he was out, and then they said it was a touchdown—and then there was no review. So we were just like, 'All right,' so we just kept going. We had our opportunities. We just didn't capitalize."

Schefter's report indicated there has been some concern regarding Boger's performance this season.

Boger, 66, has been an NFL official since 2004.