In a Oakland Raider tradition as familiar as silver and black uniforms, the organization let a sitting coach attend his final press briefing to talk about his job even as they were preparing to fire him.
Kiffin talked with the press for a half-hour Monday, just as Mike White (1996), Joe Bugel (1997), Bill Callahan (2003), Norv Turner (2006) and Art Shell (2007) did following their season ending defeats.
Only Callahan didn’t play along, reading from a prepared statement before walking out without taking questions.
Only in the case of Bugel where it dragged on for more than a week, the head coach was gone the following day.
Medianews beat writer Steve Corkran and other media outlets are reporting Al Davis was interviewing line coach Tom Cable, offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and advance scout Paul Hackett.
Only Cable and Hackett have head coaching experience among the three. Cable was 11-35 at Idaho, his alma mater, from 2000 through 2003. Hackett was 19-17 at USC from 1997 through 2000. He was bought out of the final two of his contract after the Trojans went 5-7, their first season losing season since 1991.
No word as yet if Davis plans to speak. In a conversation with Corkran and myself last Thursday which Davis declined to talk on the record about the coaching situation, he said he may have something to say the following week, “if you’re interested.”
