Tony Sparano becomes Oakland Raiders interim head coach

The Oakland Raiders were expected to fire head coach Dennis Allen if they dug themselves into an 0-4 hole, and Allen really outdid himself in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Miami Dolphins in London. Needless to say, he didn’t make the trip back home safe, as Mark Davis, who seemed to be planning this move from the moment Sunday’s game ended, gave Allen the ax last night after much speculation that included a false report.

Tony Sparano and offensive coordinator Greg Olson were always thought to be the two most likely to receive a promotion if Allen, who was deemed to be “safe” as late as Week 3, were fired over the bye week following a dismal display. The Raiders have announced the hiring of Tony Sparano as their interim head coach, and he has an outside chance of becoming a full-time HC in this league again if he can somehow turn the Raiders into a significantly improved team over the rest of the season.

I think Davis has the Raiders set for lofty goals (which owner doesn’t?), and it’s not a surprise to hear that he’s going after Jon Gruden again. If the Raiders want to hire a marquee, big-name head coach this offseason, then GM Reggie McKenzie will definitely have to go. For now, the former Green Bay Packers executive is safe, because it doesn’t make sense to fire a GM in the middle of the season; it doesn’t do much help.