SF Chronicle: Raiders don't need to look very far for next coach

Scott Ostler
One does not envy the mission of Raiders boss Al Davis as he searches for a coach, because it's not going to be easy to fill the shoes of what's-his-name. But the fact that Norv Turner left his shoes behind is an indication of how quickly he was hustled out of the building, and of how eager Mr. Davis is to usher in the new era of The Greatness of the Raiders. About the best thing you can say about Turner is that, through hard times and harder times, he didn't lose his players. Which puts him one coaching notch above Little Bo Peep. (How ironic, then, that Turner became a sacrificial lamb.) Anyway, the Raiders have established that they can lose for a coach they dislike (Bill Callahan) and for a coach they respect (what's-his-name). Now what Davis should be seeking is a coach who can coach. Players, too. Davis should be seeking those, and he will be, as soon as the Over-the-Hill Free Agent Market opens its doors. But right now, the search is directed at the head-coaching position.
Here's a thought: Jeff Tedford.
Cal's coach is in a five-year deal that runs four more seasons. He is already well-paid at $1.5 million per year, plus a $2.5 million bonus if he serves out his entire contract. And Tedford is a loyal, honorable guy. But if you're Al Davis, your limo is not deterred by speed bumps. You must act dynamically because you are running out of time and options, and you need someone who will give your Raiders and their fans a pulse. The last two head-coach hires didn't generate much buzz in Raider Nation. While the team is in the process of recovering from what ails it, the organization (i.e., Davis) has the obligation to snap the players and fans out of their collective coma. Fan interest is sagging so badly that at the last couple of home games, there have been black holes in the Black Hole. The Raiders have been off local TV longer than Milton Berle. Short-term, at least, Tedford would fix that. What he has brought to Cal, along with winning football, is an electric offense. It starts at quarterback, and if Tedford isn't the foremost expert on the coaching and development of the football quarterback, he's on a short list. Granted, his experience with pro quarterbacks is limited to the Canadian Football League, where he coached 'em and where he was one, but if you don't think Tedford would be a handy guy to have around your NFL club to buck up your quarterback, you haven't been paying attention.
Tedford understands the mind of the quarterback, and the mechanics. He would be the perfect coach to bring out whatever potential Kerry Collins has, or to advise Davis that Collins has a limited NFL upside and should be down-sized. And (as they say in the TV infomercials) that's not all! Tedford knows balance, he knows the running game. Each of his past eight teams has featured a 1,000-yard rusher, and Cal came within a yard of having two in '05. Even if Tedford brought 10 percent of his offensive playbook to the NFL, his team would show a freshness and innovation that the league and its fans sorely need. Davis commented on the firing of Turner by explaining at the Dick-and-Jane level, "We weren't scoring points. And you have to score in the National Football League to win." To score points, it is helpful to run and pass, and those are two areas of the game Tedford seems to grasp. Those opposed to the idea of the Raiders hiring Tedford might put forth the arguments: "Steve Mariucci and Steve Spurrier." Spurrier's personality and work ethic might not have been compatible with NFL success, especially with a mediocre team. As for Mariucci, right now he's about a .500 NFL coach, but he never worked the miracles at Cal that Tedford is working.
Mariucci was 6-6 at Cal in '96, and that team faded late, and at least half the reason he was hired by the 49ers was that Carmen Policy and Eddie DeBartolo admired Mooch's hair. Tedford is no Mariucci when it comes to hair, or to schmoozing the media, but on the charm and charisma scale, Tedford rates well above Turner, Dennis Erickson, etczzz. As a plus, Tedford sleeps in his office several nights a week, so Davis would know where to find him if he's wandering the halls at 4 a.m. and wants to talk football. Any new Raiders coach will bring change, but Tedford would bring hope, and that's something the Raiders could use.