ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Raiders are expected to hire Patriots OC Josh McDaniels for their head-coaching vacancy.
Schefter noted that the two sides are finalizing a contract but the deal has been all but done for some time now. Once Davie Ziegler, the Patriots’ director of player personnel, was inked as the Raiders’ next GM, McDaniels was sure to follow. McDaniels was reportedly a big supporter of Ziegler when Nick Caserio left New England and opened the de facto GM role. The two were seemingly a package deal for the Raiders, who made Ziegler their first GM interview while McDaniels was strongly rumored to be their top coaching option. McDaniels flopped as the head coach of the Broncos, going 11-17 from 2009 to the middle of the 2010 season. Though he seemed in over his head then, McDaniels has had a decade to learn at the altar of Bill Belichick. After getting back into the playoffs with a rookie quarterback at the helm, McDaniels was bound to get a second crack at leading a team.
I like the hire. I don’t consider McDaniels a typical New England coat tails hire. He was too young his last go around. He’s a good coach with an innovative mind. I think he will do well there.
