Hue Jackson: He's Oakland's New Head Coach, but What About His Coaching Staff?

Not much of a surprise, but the Oakland Raiders have finally named Hue Jackson as their Head Coach.

This decision definitely has it's upside, as it gives the players some level of continuity going into the future.

Continuity is something you hear a lot about when it comes to successful teams; it is also something that the Raiders have lacked the majority of this decade.

Hue Jackson has a resume that is a bit more impressive than his predecessor Tom Cable. He has been a position coach for three different positions: Running Back, Wide Receiver and Quarterback. He has been an Offensive Coordinator on both the college and professional level.

There is no doubt that Jackson has quality coaching experience, and it was only a matter of time that a team took a chance on Jackson. Let us be glad that it was our team.

There are a few uncertainties that concern me: This will be Hue Jackson's first attempt at the Head Coaching position on any level. How he responds to the the responsibility will be interesting.

He was a good Offensive Coordinator in 2010, but keep in mind that this past season was his best as a Coordinator, so one could question his consistency.

Secondly, how will Hue Jackson get his players to buy in? The Raiders most likely will be running the same scheme on both offense and defense from an X's and O's perspective. But there are a lot of players who were Tom Cable supporters, so the transition may not be as easy as some may think.

Those are some legitimate concerns, but the biggest concern is: What about Hue Jackson's coaching staff?

Offensive and defensive Coordinators are the flashy positions that many people will talk about, but there are some position coaches that may have the same significance.

It seems as if Al Saunders is the favorite to be the next Offensive Coordinator. Saunders was the Offensive consultant in Baltimore the past couple years, so expect the same offense, but maybe a more innovative game plan.

Saunders could get Al Davis' approval as he was a Head Coaching candidate in 2006 and 2007, the Raiders decided to go in different direction in both years.

Saunders also has ties to the Oakland Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell, both of them spending time in Washington.

As far as defensive coordinator is concerned, that may be a bit more of a mystery. There was speculation that Rob Ryan could make a return to Oakland, however that is now a forgotten rumor, as Ryan has signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

The name I hear is Chuck Pagano, the Baltimore Ravens Secondary Coach. I'm not sure what Pagano's coaching history is, but I know the Ravens have been a 3-4 defense for close to a decade now.

I doubt the Raiders make that kind of change, but keep in mind, that the Raiders do have the personnel to pull that off if they choose.

The Ravens have always had a good defense, but if they have a weakness, it is their secondary. That is not the best thing for us right now with the potential loss of Nnamdi Asomugha.

Now, those are the big coaching positions, but what about the position coaches?

The fact is, the Raiders have got to find a way to get some production out of their wide receivers. I'm talking the entire receiving corps, not just Darrius Heyward Bey (sorry DHB, didn't mean to single you out.)

Sanjay Lal has not gotten it done so far; Jacoby Ford had a great year, but how much of that was physical gifts, mixed with quality play calling.

The Raiders could also use an upgrade at the Linebackers coach as well. I would've liked to see Mike Singletary fill that void, but it seems he is on his way to Minnesota.

So, there are definitely some holes to fill on this staff, an the Raiders are going to need some quality coaches to help our new Head Coach.

Let's hope they make the right decisions.