Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis sent shockwaves through the NFL world with his late-night decision to fire head coach Josh McDaniels along with general manager Dave Ziegler.
Linebackers coach (and former Pro Bowl player) Antonio Pierce was named interim head coach in place of McDaniels.
The first order of business was benching veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in favor or rookie Aidan O’Connell … We’ll see how that goes.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Vegas play motivated football going forward under Pierce. They are more than talented enough to make a playoff push.
However, in the big picture, the million-dollar question is who will take over as the next (permanent) head coach of the Raiders?
Pierce has his chance to impress and make case for the job … Although, we saw how that worked out for Rich Bisaccia a few years ago.
According to BetOnline.ag, a clear favorite has emerged (at least in the betting world), and it’s an extremely interesting one – Jim Harbaugh.
The current Michigan Wolverines head coach is treading in some hot water at the moment due to the ongoing NCAA investigation into possible sign-stealing.
Whether this is his last season in Ann Arbor remains to be seen. Regardless, Harbaugh is listed as a 5/1 favorite to become the next Raiders head coach.
Harbaugh is followed by Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson (7/1) and Miami Dolphins OC Frank Smith (8/1).
Rounding out the top five are Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns defensive coordinators Dan Quinn and Jim Schwartz (both 9/1).
🚨ODDS🚨The next #Raiders Head Coach:
1) Michigan Jim Harbaugh, 5/1
2) #Lions OC Ben Johnson, 7/1
3) #Dolphins OC Frank Smith, 8/1 👀
4) #Cowboys DC Dan Quinn, 9/1
5) #Browns DC Jim Schwartz, 9/1
6) #Cowboys OC Kellen Moore, 10/1
7) LVR interim Antonio Pierce, 12/1
8) #Vikings… pic.twitter.com/leYGAPsVIC— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 3, 2023
For what it’s worth, Pierce is listed at 12/1.
The complete top-10 goes as follows…
-Jim Harbaugh 5/1
-Ben Johnson 7/1
-Frank Smith 8/1
-Dan Quinn 9/1
-Jim Schwartz 9/1
-Kellen Moore 10/1
-Antonio Pierce 12/1
-Brian Flores 12/1
-Brian Johnson 12/1
-Ejiro Evero 12/1
If you notice, not appearing anywhere on that list is former running back Marshawn Lynch – which shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, right?
Well, according to ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III, the Raiders should be interested in interviewing Lynch for the head coach job…
“Alright…hear me out. Marshawn Lynch should AT LEAST get a HEAD COACH interview with the Raiders this off-season. Lean into the Raider way, team becomes feared with his style and mentality. Load up his staff with experience and proven coordinators. Who says no?” Griffin wrote on X.
Alright…hear me out.
Marshawn Lynch should AT LEAST get a HEAD COACH interview with the Raiders this off-season. Lean into the Raider way, team becomes feared with his style and mentality. Load up his staff with experience and proven coordinators. Who says no? @MoneyLynch https://t.co/X1xlhv7BMg— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) November 1, 2023
I think it’s safe to say that Lynch interview won’t be happening…
Who do you think should be the Raiders next head coach?
Should Harbaugh be considered the favorite?
Will Pierce impress enough to have a legitimate shot at the job?