ALAMEDA, CALIF. (AP) - The Oakland Raiders search for a new head coach picked up steam on Monday as the team received permission to interview two Denver assistants and was also poised to talk to members of Green Bay’s staff.
With the Broncos and Packers eliminated from the playoffs over the weekend, new general manager Reggie McKenzie could begin moving quickly to fill the job that opened up when he fired Hue Jackson last week on his first day on the job.
McKenzie got permission from the Broncos to interview offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. McCoy also had an interview scheduled Monday for the job opening in Miami.
“I think it’s very complimentary to this organization that they’re having that opportunity and to their work,” Broncos coach John Fox said. “I think any assistant coach’s aspiration is to be a head coach. It speaks for what this organization has accomplished this season. Time will tell.”
McCoy spent nine years as an offensive assistant in Carolina before joining the Broncos as offensive coordinator in 2009. He has been in that role for three seasons and oversaw a midseason transformation of the offense as it evolved from a passing attack with Kyle Orton at quarterback to the read-option offense run by Tim Tebow.
Allen just finished his first year as defensive coordinator in Denver. He had previously been an assistant in Atlanta and New Orleans.
McKenzie started work with the Raiders last Tuesday. His first move was to fire Jackson, who went 8-8 in his only season as head coach. McKenzie said at the time he wanted his own guy as head coach, leading to speculation that one of his former colleagues in Green Bay could get the job.
With the Packers having been eliminated from the playoffs Sunday with a 37-20 loss to the New York Giants, McKenzie will be able to start interviewing those assistant coaches soon. McKenzie had been director of football operations in Green Bay before taking the job with the Raiders.
One of the leading candidates will likely be linebackers coach Winston Moss, who has interviewed for openings with the Raiders in the past and played four seasons for the team from 1991-94. Moss said he will interview with the Raiders if McKenzie asks him, saying he has already thought about what he would do as a head coach.
“There’s always opportunities to put yourself in the same position as a head coach would and see how you would do things or what you would change or what you would add or what you would take away,” Moss said. “So with that being said, I’ve done that, I feel good about the vision, the goals, the beliefs that can be instilled within an organization that would give me the opportunity to be a head coach.”
Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, defensive coordinator Dom Capers, quarterbacks coach Tom Clements and secondary coach Darren Perry also could be candidates.
“It’s part of the process,” Clements said. “You see what happens. There’s some uncertainty about it, but you have a place here in Green Bay and it’s a very good place to be. So if you’re mentioned for jobs, it’s a compliment. But until something happens, that’s all it is.”
Oakland has also been granted permission to interview New Orleans offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., a person with knowledge of the request said on condition of anonymity because the Raiders are not publicizing the candidates.
Carmichael took over play-calling duties when head coach Sean Payton broke his leg in Week 6 and Payton allowed him to continue handling the bulk of play-calling throughout the remainder of the season as the Saints set NFL records for most offensive yards and passing yards in a season.
The coaching search started last week when McKenzie interviewed former Miami interim coach Todd Bowles on Friday. Bowles was an assistant head coach and secondary coach for the Dolphins before being promoted to replace the first Tony Sparano with three games left in the season. Miami went 2-1 under Bowles, who is a candidate for the full-time job there.
ESPN also reported that McKenzie interviewed New Orleans offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. when the Saints were in town to play the San Francisco 49ers in a playoff game.
___
AP Sports Writers Arnie Stapleton in Englewood, Colo., Brett Martel in New Orleans and Chris Jenkins in Green Bay, Wis., contributed to this report.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.