Raiders fire Allen, name Sparano interim coach
Alameda, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – The Oakland Raiders made it official on Tuesday and announced the firing of head coach Dennis Allen.
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano has been selected as the interim coach.
Numerous reports of Allen’s dismissal came Monday night, a day after the Raiders fell to 0-4 for the season. General manager Reggie McKenzie released a statement Tuesday to confirm the decision.
“After thorough evaluation, we have determined to move in another direction,” said McKenzie. “We appreciate Dennis Allen’s dedication to the organization and wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future.”
Allen was in his third season as Raiders’ coach. He led the team to a pair of 4-12 records before this year’s disastrous start.
The Raiders have lost 10 straight games dating back to last year, and this year’s squad has yet to score more than 14 points in any of its four games.
Oakland has a bye this week after its 38-14 loss to Miami on Sunday in London.
Sparano will be an NFL head coach for the second time, previously guiding the Dolphins to a record of 29-32 in nearly four full seasons. He took over in 2008 after the Dolphins were 1-15 in 2007 and led Miami to a mark of 11-5 with a surprising AFC East title.
However, a pair of 7-9 campaigns followed and he was fired in December 2011 after a 4-9 start that included losses in the first seven games.
Sparano served as the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets in 2012 before joining the Raiders as the assistant head coach and offensive line coach last year.
“Tony Sparano has a strong presence in this organization,” said McKenzie. “His experience and leadership qualities will serve the team well in helping reach the goal of everyone here, which is to win football games.”
Sparano, a head coach for five years at Division II New Haven, was also an assistant with the Cleveland Browns from 1999-2000, the Washington Redskins in 2001 and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2002. He then joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2003 and spent five seasons in various roles before becoming the Dolphins’ head coach.
His first game in charge of the Raiders will come Oct. 12 at home against San Diego.
Categorized in: NFL
Tags: Oakland, Oakland Raiders, Raiders