Who Should Be the Raiders' Offensive Coordinator in 2013?

Raider Nation has spoken loud and clear: Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp has got to go!

If Knapp is let go by Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie and head coach Dennis Allen, who would make a good replacement for leading the Raiders' offensive attack in the 2013 season?

Let’s take a look at a few coaches who may be a good fit as the new offensive coordinator for the 2013 Oakland Raiders.

Al Saunders: Senior Offensive Assistant, Oakland Raiders

The top name on many Raiders fans' minds to replace Greg Knapp is former Raiders offensive coordinator and current senior offensive assistant, Al Saunders.

Saunders has extensive experience running pro offenses and has been relatively successful with the talent that is currently on the Oakland Raiders roster.

While under 2011 head coach Hue Jackson, Al Saunders helped lead an offensive attack that was one game away from Oakland’s first playoff appearance in nine years. However, Coach Jackson was the primary play-caller for the Raiders.

Would the Raiders have been a better or worse offensive team if Saunders had been calling the plays?

We may get to find out if head coach Dennis Allen chooses to go with Saunders in 2013.

Al Saunders' Coaching History:

• 1970-1971 USC (graduate assistant)
• 1972 Missouri (wide receivers)
• 1973-1975 Utah State (play-caller/offensive backfield)
• 1976-1981 California (asst. head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
• 1982 Tennessee (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
• 1983–1985 San Diego Chargers (wide receivers)
• 1986–1988 San Diego Chargers (head coach)
• 1989–1998 Kansas City Chiefs (asst. head coach/wide receivers)
• 1999–2000 St. Louis Rams (asst. head coach/wide receivers)
• 2001–2005 Kansas City Chiefs (offensive coordinator)
• 2006–2007 Washington Redskins (asst. head coach)
• 2008 St. Louis Rams (offensive coordinator)
• 2009–2010 Baltimore Ravens (offensive consultant)
• 2011 Oakland Raiders (offensive coordinator)
• 2012-present Oakland Raiders (senior offensive assistant)

History via Wikipedia.

Norv Turner: Head Coach, San Diego Chargers

Norv Turner has shown time and again that he is not a head coach who can take a team to the next level and a Super Bowl victory.

However, he is a very successful offensive coordinator, and if he is let go by the San Diego Chargers after this season his best option may be taking on a coordinator position again.

Raider Nation is familiar with Norv Turner as a head coach. During the 2004 and 2005 seasons, Turner’s time as head coach ended with a 9-23 record and a one-way ticket out of Oakland.

Many teams are hoping Norv Turner can return to the former offensive coordinator glory he had with the Dallas Cowboys, where he helped lead an offense that produced three rushing titles with Emmitt Smith and two Super Bowl victories.

Norv Turner's Coaching History:

• 1975 University of Oregon (graduate assistant)
• 1976–1979 USC (wide receivers)
• 1980 USC (defensive backs)
• 1981–1983 USC (quarterbacks)
• 1984 USC (offensive coordinator)
• 1985–1990 Los Angeles Rams (wide receivers)
• 1991–1993 Dallas Cowboys (offensive coordinator)
• 1994–2000 Washington Redskins (head coach)
• 2001 San Diego Chargers (offensive coordinator)
• 2002–2003 Miami Dolphins (offensive coordinator)
• 2004–2005 Oakland Raiders (head coach)
• 2006 San Francisco 49ers (offensive coordinator)
• 2007–present San Diego Chargers (head coach)

History via Wikipedia.

Marty Mornhinweg : Asst. Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles

Marty Mornhinweg has had successful tenures with the Green Bay Packers (1995-1996), San Francisco 49ers (1997-2000) and now with Philadelphia (2006-current) as the Eagles' assistant head coach/offensive coordinator.

Many will also remember his unsuccessful stint as head coach of the Detroit Lions, which ended after two seasons and a 5-27 record.

Mornhinweg has experience with offenses that are in transition and has shown the ability to adapt quickly and succeed when having to deal with player injuries.

Remember when the Eagles won three divisional road games with backup quarterback Jeff Garcia in 2006? That was under Mornhinweg's watch.

Marty Mornhinweg's Coaching History:

• 1985 The University of Montana (receivers)
• 1986-1987 University of Texas at El Paso (graduate assistant)
• 1988 Northern Arizona University (running backs)
• 1989-1990 Southeast Missouri State University (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
• 1991-1993 University of Missouri (tight ends/offensive line)
• 1994 Northern Arizona University (offensive coordinator)
• 1995 Green Bay Packers (offensive assistant/quality control coach)
• 1996 Green Bay Packers (quarterbacks)
• 1997-2000 San Francisco 49ers (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
• 2001-2002 Detroit Lions (head coach)
• 2003 Philadelphia Eagles (senior assistant)
• 2004-2005 Philadelphia Eagles (assistant head coach)
• 2006-present Philadelphia Eagles (offensive coordinator/assistant head coach)

History via Wikipedia.

Mike Shula: QB Coach, Carolina Panthers

Son of Don Shula, the NFL's all-time winningest coach, and the younger brother of Dave Shula, Mike Shula is a former offensive coordinator at the NFL level.

His four seasons as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator resulted in an offense that was never better than 22nd in the NFL.

While there is an allure around Mike Shula and his work with Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, I’m not that high on Shula coming to Oakland.

Mike Shula's Coaching History:

• 1988–1990 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (offensive assistant)
• 1991–1992 Miami Dolphins (coaches' assistant)
• 1993–1995 Chicago Bears (tight ends)
• 1996–1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (offensive coordinator)
• 2000–2002 Miami Dolphins (quarterbacks)
• 2003–2006 Alabama Crimson Tide (head coach)
• 2007–2010 Jacksonville Jaguars (quarterbacks)
• 2011-present Carolina Panthers (quarterbacks)

History via Wikipedia.

Jeff Tedford: Former Head Coach, University of California

Jeff Tedford has quite a history with mentoring NFL quarterbacks who have been selected in the first round of NFL drafts:

• Trent Dilfer, sixth overall, 1994, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Akili Smith, third overall, 1999, Cincinnati Bengals
• David Carr, first overall, 2002, Houston Texans
• Joey Harrington, third overall, 2002, Detroit Lions
• Kyle Boller, 19th overall, 2003, Baltimore Ravens
• Aaron Rodgers, 24th overall, 2005, Green Bay Packers

He also had eight 1000-yard rushers while head coach at Cal:

• 2002: Joe Igber (1,130 yards)
• 2003: Adimchinobi Echemandu (1,195 yards)
• 2004: J. J. Arrington (2,018 yards)
• 2005: Marshawn Lynch (1,246 yards)
• 2006: Marshawn Lynch (1,356 yards)
• 2007: Justin Forsett (1,546 yards)
• 2008: Jahvid Best (1,580 yards)
• 2010: Shane Vereen (1,167 yards)
• 2011: Isi Sofele (1,322 yards)

The Oakland Raiders are at a critical point in time. With Carson Palmer not the quarterback of the future, they will need to be prepared to mentor Terrelle Pryor as the starter or find another young quarterback either via the draft or free agency.

Jeff Tedford may be the guy who can help transition this young offensive team towards the future.

Jeff Tedford's Coaching History:

• 1989–1991 Calgary Stampeders (offensive assistant)
• 1992 Fresno State (quarterbacks)
• 1993–1997 Fresno State (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
• 1998–2001 Oregon (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
• 2002–2012 California (head coach)

History via Wikipedia.

Karl Dorrell: QB Coach, Houston Texans

Karl Dorrell has college experience as an offensive coordinator with Northern Arizona (1990-1991), Colorado (1992-1993) and Washington (1999) and was head coach of UCLA for five seasons (2003-2007), where he helped lead the Bruins to five bowl appearances.

Dorrell is also experienced at cleaning up other coaches' messes and has been described as having a different coaching style than current offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.  

He was heavily rumored as a candidate to succeed Mike Heimerdinger as the Denver Broncos' assistant head coach.

Oakland may be a very good fit for Dorrell.

Karl Dorrell's Coaching History:

• 1989 UCF (wide receivers)
• 1990–1991 Northern Arizona (offensive coordinator)
• 1992–1993 Colorado (wide receivers)
• 1994 Arizona State (wide receivers)
• 1995–1998 Colorado (offensive coordinator)
• 1999 Washington (offensive coordinator)
• 2000–2002 Denver Broncos (wide receivers)
• 2003–2007 UCLA (head coach)
• 2008–2010 Miami Dolphins (wide receivers)
• 2011 Miami Dolphins (quarterbacks)
• 2012–present Houston Texans (quarterbacks)

History via Wikipedia.

Who do you think would make a great offensive coordinator for the 2013 Oakland Raiders? Post your choice in the comment section below!

Ray Garcia is a sports radio host and owner of TPSRadio.net (The People's Sports Radio Network). You can follow him on Twitter @tpsray