The latest bit of NFL rumor fodder pertaining to the Oakland Raiders head coaching search may sting a bit for Black and Silver fans.
It seems the Raiders tried – really, truly tried – to lure former San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh to the Black hole, but ultimately failed in their endeavor.
"Jim was their first choice," a source told Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com. "(The Raiders) are disappointed."
It seems Harbaugh was intrigued by the notion and the Raiders were absolutely an option. Ultimately, however, the lure of Ann Arbor and the opportunity to coach at his alma mater was too much to deny, meaning the Raiders and owner Mark Davis are back to square one in their coaching search.
Or, perhaps not.
Perhaps the answer to Davis' prayers was right under his nose the whole time.
Interim head coach Tony Sparano, who took over after Dennis Allen was fired mid-season, is now apparently very much in the picture as a candidate to take over the gig on a full-time basis. After assuming control of the team, Sparano helmed the Raiders to a 3-9 record and earned the support of a number of players, maybe none more so than young quarterback, Derek Carr.
"Yeah, we love him," Carr said, per Steve Corkran of IBABuzz.com. "He's our leader. Absolutely. We love him. Obviously, those decisions are going to happen, and we have no control in that. Those decisions will be made, and whoever is here is who we'll play for."
"But right now, coach Sparano is my leader. I love him 100 percent. He genuinely cares about me. He's pulled me into his office just to ask how I'm doing. ... Those kind of things from a head coach mean so much."
According to Jeff Darlington of NFL.com, while Davis is expected to begin interviewing other potential candidates soon, Sparano is "squarely in the mix" to keep the job.
Sparano, who began this season as Oakland's offensive line coach and assistant to the head coach, had a previous head coaching stint with the Miami Dolphins, leading the team to a 10-win turnaround and first playoff birth in seven years in 2008, his first season.
After a pair of 7-9 seasons and an unexpected two-year extension, Sparano was relieved of his duties by owner Stephen Ross.
With Harbaugh out of the picture, expect Davis to exhaust every potential avenue to find a coach he deems suitable for leading this once-beleaguered franchise.
