Oakland Raiders on Verge of Making Broncos Defensive Coordinator Next Head Coach

Updated 10:51 a.m.

According to multiple sources, the Oakland Raiders will be poaching someone from the Denver Broncos to be their next head coach.

But fear not, Raider Nation, Tim Tebow won’t be your next head coach; although St. Tebow has done such ridiculous things on the field, maybe he can coach, too.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Raiders have identified Denver defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as their man, even letting other candidates know they’re out of consideration.

The selection of Allen is a bit of a surprise, as he was one of the least publicized candidates interviewed by Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie. Packers defensive coordinator Winston Moss was an early favorite to take over for fired first-year coach Hue Jackson, and was interviewed, but he apparently didn’t make the cut.

Among the more high-profile candidates interviewed by Oakland were Eagles’ offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and Miami assistant coach Todd Bowles. Mike Tice was also scheduled to be interviewed, but the interview was canceled Monday when the Raiders decided to move ahead with Allen.

If the Raiders choose Allen, it will end one of the strangest coaching searches in recent memory. Aside from interviewing promising assistant coaches (which I argued was the right move in today’s NFL), the Raiders also chose two guys in Mornhinweg and Tice who were both spectacular failures in their only head coaching stints (Mornhinweg for Detroit and Tice in Minnesota). Neither Tice nor Mornhinweg have been in serious consideration for head coaching jobs in years, and with good reason: The two geniuses have a combined record of 37-60.

Among their greatest hits as head coaches: Mornhinweg once won an overtime coin toss and decided to kick off instead of receiving the football (surprise, surprise, the Lions lost), and Tice once declared to the media that 40 percent of the Vikings’ offensive plays would go through receiver Randy Moss, a diabolical plan he called the “Randy Ratio” – the plan was so successful, the Vikings abandoned it halfway through the season after starting 2-7. Needless to say, I am very, very glad the Raiders have passed on both candidates.

As for Allen, his potential hire makes it clear which way McKenzie wants to steer this team: defense. Perhaps he was motivated by the failure of the defense he helped construct in Green Bay this season, or the Raiders’ embarrassing performance against San Diego in the season finale; regardless, McKenzie seems to want to focus on defense in his tenure with the Silver and Black.

The Denver defense improved dramatically under Allen, finishing 10th in sacks and 8th in points allowed; compare that to the previous season, when the Broncos were dead last in sacks (just 23 all year) and a mediocre 14th in scoring defense. The defense was also a major reason for the team’s playoff appearance in 2011. Although St. Tebow got all the publicity, he would never have been in position to win so many games late if not for the stellar play of the Bronco defense.

Allen played defensive back for Texas A&M in the early 90s, then took his first coaching job there as an assistant in 1996. His first NFL experience came in 2002, when he was hired as a defensive backs coach for the Atlanta Falcons under veteran head coach Dan Reeves. In 2006, Allen became a defensive assistant with New Orleans under coach Sean Payton. He stayed with the Saints until John Fox gave him his first defensive coordinator job last season with the Broncos.

Hiring Allen would also continue the long-standing Al Davis tradition of hiring young assistants for their first head coaching jobs: Allen is only 39-years-old. If hired, he would be the league's youngest head coach, edging out Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin by six months.

It will be interesting to see what direction the Raiders take offensively, since Jackson had masterminded the offensive scheme the last two seasons (and with considerable success). Considering what the Raiders gave up to acquire Carson Palmer, and the fact McKenzie is trying to hire a defensive coach, it doesn’t look like Palmer will be going anywhere for a while. McKenzie must have some faith in the veteran signal caller, who showed flashes of brilliance last season, while also turning the ball over at an alarming rate.

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