And the next Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders is...

Lane Kiffin’s days as the incumbent Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders will undoubtedly end in the coming days or weeks, and barring an NBC reality show spin-off of the Apprentice, there is already a short list of candidates to replace him.

So who is the heir to become the Emperor's Apprentice (a.k.a. Darth Vader)?

Many will say Rob Ryan is the likely choice, and in truth he would make the easiest transition as the players already love him, and he's fully versed on everything Raiders. There's one thing standing in Ryan's way - Al Davis - who prefers Head Coaches with an Offensive pedigree, as he believes the Head Coach should be the Play Caller on field.

That, Ryan is not.

John Madden was the only defensive coach in Raiders history to be promoted to Head Coach, and even though he was extremely successful, that marked Davis' only departure from his philosophy.

That brings us to Greg Knapp, the current Offensive Coordinator. Knapp is also fully versed on the current system, making for another seamless transition, and he has experience for the job of Head Coach. Knapp also fits the bill as a play caller, but his detractors from his days in Atlanta might be his downfall.

Next we have hall-of-famer James Lofton; current Wide Receivers Coach, former Raider and friend of Davis. Lofton was a candidate for the Head Coaching position two years ago, and despite Davis' critics, was not merely interviewed to fulfill the requirement by the NFL to bring in at least one African American during the process. Lofton is loved and admired by the receivers, and undoubtedly has other fans on the offensive side of the ball. Some speculated Lofton was brought in as Receivers Coach as an insurance policy against Kiffin. He too would make a seamless transition to Head Coach and would probably leave Knapp as the O.C./Play Caller.

Lastly, we have the dark horse within the Raiders organization with a shot at the job of Head Coach, Paul Hackett. Hackett was brought in late during the off-season as an Offensive Consultant. The former Head Coach of Davis' beloved USC, Hackett also served as the O.C.for the New York Jets from 2001 to 2004.

That brings us to a handful of former Head Coaches looking for work.

Jim Fassel has experience with the Raiders and is still close to Davis. He's also champing at the bit for another shot as a Head Coach. Davis prefers people who he feels are loyal friends and loyal Raiders, so Fassel may have a leg up on the competition.

Dennis Green is also a former Head Coach with Davis ties. His name creeps into every vacancy with the Raiders, yet he's never interviewed.

Brian Billick, former Head Coach of the Baltimore Ravens is also looking for work. He's currently an analyst with the NFL Network, but is waiting for another shot. Billick also has an offensive pedigree and was the Play Caller for the Ravens.

Our last candidate is Bill Cowher, former Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers and current analyst on CBS. Although he was successful with the Steelers, Cowher has a few strikes against him due to his defensive pedigree and close relationship to perennial Raider-hater, Marty Schottenheimer. The latter strike alone pretty much disqualifies Cowher as a viable candidate. 

So who do you think is going to become the next Apprentice? Post your replies below.