Reggie McKenzie says he follows his gut on a lot of decisions. One of his 1st as the Oakland Raiders’ common manager was to fire coach Hue Jackson.
When McKenzie was introduced Tuesday at his new position, in which he will make all football-associated choices for the Raiders, he cited the require for alter.
“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 1 factor.”
McKenzie said he didn’t have the authority to fire Jackson before he signed his contract Tuesday, and he never ever gave the coach an indication of his thinking. Pressed on the reasons why he fired Jackson, McKenzie cited “a require for alter coming from the best” and a new start off with a coach of his selecting.
“This selection 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 made the call.
The move marks a rapid fall for Jackson, who was in charge of personnel decisions and coaching soon after owner Al Davis died of heart failure in October. Jackson orchestrated the trade for quarterback Carson Palmer following starter Jason Campbell broke his collarbone, costing the Raiders a 2012 1st-round draft choose and a conditional 2013 second-rounder. After starting the season 7-4, the Raiders lost four of their final 5 games to mark their ninth consecutive season with no a winning record or a playoff berth.
“There comes a time when change is essential,” 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 decide on the new coach and the personnel decisions, with the coach ultimately reporting to the GM. McKenzie said the new coach will have the authority to employ his own staff.
The new framework is a significant adjust from how the organization was previously run. Al Davis made all the major decisions when he was in charge of the team, with many of those now falling to McKenzie as Mark Davis focuses on finding a new stadium and other off-the-field issues.
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 knowledge isn’t a prerequisite.
“We just want a winner, a guy that who we really feel can lead this team into a new era,” McKenzie said.
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 better, but if I have to wait, I’ll wait,” McKenzie said on his coaching search. “I’ll work my tail off to hire the very best fit. That will begin now. However extended it takes, that’s how lengthy it will take. We want the appropriate 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 subsequent coach.
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