Oakland Tribune: Raiders' answer as close as Berkeley

Jeff Tedford could work his magic in Oakland, if only Al Davis would let him

THE ANSWER for the Oakland Raiders is so close and yet so far away. Less than an hour's drive from their own facility, there is a man who surely would rescue their failing franchise and restore it to its proper greatness.   Jeff Tedford, the certified miracle worker at the Cal, almost certainly could work the same magic in Oakland. He could be Oakland's Nick Saban, perhaps even better. From this view, he is the modern-day version of Bill Walsh, primed to be lured away by the league that is his eventual destiny.  You wonder if Al Davis has even considered something so obvious. Once he might have. Not anymore. But listening to the Raiders owner delineate his priorities on Tuesday, it's hard not to connect local dots.  Davis says he wants a coach who wins. Tedford is a coach who wins. He took a program many thought beyond repair and turned it into a national power in three years. This year, he went 8-4 and won a bowl game without a front-line quarterback.  Davis says he wants a coach who scores points. Tedford is a coach who scores points by the bushel. He runs a pro-style offense rooted in its exquisite balance and offensive line dominance. His success has had schools like Notre Dame, Nebraska and Washington salivating in recent years as well as several professional teams. Chicago, for example, preferred Tedford to Lovie Smith. And of course, he was hired at Cal over Marvin Lewis, who has rejuvenated the Cincinnati Bengals.  Davis says he wants a coach with the presence and charisma to sell tickets and fill an antiquated stadium. Tedford not only sold tickets and filled ancient Memorial Stadium, he got folks so excited he inspired the old bowl's imminent restoration.  Without a doubt, Tedford could and would get Raiders fans excited again. He's young but not too young. He has no NFL experience but offers a more professional approach than many men who've been in the league for years. His practices are like something organized by the Pentagon. He's a tireless perfectionist. More than anything, he's a fresh face of leadership the organization desperately needs not only to sell tickets but rebuild its very soul.   Sound good? Now the bad news.

This miracle isn't going to happen without another miracle occurring — Davis taking a significant step back. Sadly, just from listening to the Raiders owner spout the usual tired old rhetoric on Tuesday, it appears nothing is about to change but the sideline figurehead.  Davis still wants too many other things that a man with the qualifications and reputation of Tedford wouldn't abide in this day and age. It's why Oakland won't be able to lure a stimulating top candidate like Cal's standout coach, and why the Raiders more than likely will settle for Jim Fassel, Jim Haslett or Mike Martz and try to patch the outdated, unworkable dynamic. If Al really wants to try to look clever, maybe he rolls the dice with Rick Neuheisel or Pat Hill. But cutting edge doesn't go much beyond the owner's increasingly dull knife.  Whomever he hires, it won't matter under the current organizational structure in which the coach lacks the necessary power to truly lead. Al might as well have stuck with Norv Turner. After all, it sounds as if Davis already has decreed Kerry Collins will be next year's starting quarterback.  That's the bad vibe the Raiders can't seem to fix. The 76-year-old organization patriarch still wants to pull too many strings. He still wants to control selection of assistant coaches. He still wants the final say on personnel. He still wants to lord over the day-to-day operation, offer "suggestions" on what needs to be done in practice and on game day. He also still will want to hire coaches on the cheap because it reinforces the chain of command and perpetuates this eccentric modus operandi.  The money matter alone probably would kill any notion of a Tedford mega-deal. Tedford makes $1.5 million per year under his current Cal contract plus incentives, and it's probably going to take a minimum of $3 million or more to pry him away from a great situation at Cal. Davis wouldn't pay that price.  But even if money were no object, everything about the Raiders right now is beneath a quality coach and organizational master like Tedford, which is a powerful statement in itself. It may apply to other strong young candidates like Brad Childress, Kirk Ferentz, Ron Rivera, Mike Singletary and Gary Kubiak, as well.  Davis is right about one thing. The league has become more competitive than ever with 20 teams not making the playoffs. The Raiders are so far away from being a viable force they are in the bottom half of those 20 teams with few significant indicators they're about to make a competitive leap. Their stadium is half full because most fans have finally figured out who really needs to go.  Oakland needs Jeff Tedford or someone like him to create a whole new vision for the Raiders franchise. But it won't happen as long as the man in charge since 1963 still believes he's the visionary.