Reggie McKenzie says he follows his gut on a lot of decisions. One of his first as the Oakland Raiders’ general manager was to fire coach Hue Jackson.
When McKenzie was introduced Tuesday at his new position, in which he will make all football-related decisions for the Raiders, he cited the require for adjust.
Lombardi: Just change, infant
“No. 1, I want my guy,” McKenzie told the assembled media. “Everything is based on performance, No. 1. I go with my gut a lot. When it’s time to make the final call, my gut is going to tell me one factor.”
McKenzie said he didn’t have the authority to fire Jackson ahead of he signed his contract Tuesday, and he never ever gave the coach an indication of his thinking. Pressed on the factors why he fired Jackson, McKenzie cited “a want for change coming from the leading” and a new commence with a coach of his deciding on.
“This choice centered around my wanting to bring my own guy in,” McKenzie stated. “That’s the primary point. Now, if Hue would have finished 7- down the stretch and made the playoffs, of course that would have played a function.
“(Raiders owner) Mark (Davis) was OK with that. Period. That’s what we want.”
Jackson disagreed with McKenzie’s assessment, telling Yahoo! Sports he believed Davis created the call.
The move marks a rapid fall for Jackson, who was in charge of personnel decisions and coaching following owner Al Davis died of heart failure in October. Jackson orchestrated the trade for quarterback Carson Palmer soon after starter Jason Campbell broke his collarbone, costing the Raiders a 2012 initial-round draft pick and a conditional 2013 second-rounder. After starting the season 7-four, the Raiders lost four of their final five games to mark their ninth consecutive season without having a winning record or a playoff berth.
“There comes a time when modify is required,” McKenzie stated. “For the Raiders, the time is now. The Raiders’ organization, with respect and deference for all its tradition and history, is about to embark on a new era.”
Mark Davis, Al’s son, produced the choice to bring in McKenzie last week and gave him the authority over the coaching staff. Davis said McKenzie will determine on the new coach and the personnel choices, with the coach ultimately reporting to the GM. McKenzie said the new coach will have the authority to hire his own staff.
The new framework is a major change from how the organization was previously run. Al Davis created all the main choices when he was in charge of the team, with a lot of of those now falling to McKenzie as Mark Davis focuses on discovering a new stadium and other off-the-field troubles.
As he turns to the coaching search, McKenzie stated he has a short list of candidates, but the offensive or defensive background of a coach will not influence the choice, and head-coaching encounter isn’t a prerequisite.
“We just want a winner, a guy that who we feel can lead this team into a new era,” McKenzie stated.
NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reported that quite a few league sources expect Packers assistant coach Winston Moss, whom McKenzie knows from his Green Bay days, to be a top candidate to replace Jackson. The Raiders would have to wait until the Packers are eliminated from the playoffs to interview Moss.
“I would like sooner than far better, but if I have to wait, I’ll wait,” McKenzie stated on his coaching search. “I’ll perform my tail off to hire the very best fit. That will commence now. Nevertheless lengthy it takes, that’s how long it will take. We want the proper guy.”
(About:) This write-up was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For much more NFL news see: McKenzie: Raiders ‘just want a winner’ in their next coach.
