Mr.Bottomtooth
09-14-2008, 11:36 AM
Report: Davis, Raiders set to fire Kiffin as soon as Monday
ESPN.com news services
Updated: September 14, 2008, 9:05 AM ET
The job of Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin has come under fire again from the one person that matters, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
In late January, ESPN Senior NFL Analyst Chris Mortensen reported that Raiders owner Al Davis had drawn up a resignation letter for Kiffin a week into the year and asked the coach to quit.
Now, Davis is preparing to fire Kiffin as soon as Monday, regardless of how the visiting Raiders perform Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Mercury News has reported, citing several front-office sources.
"You have to look at the history. History is what it is, that he doesn't keep people very long," Kiffin said Wednesday of Davis, two days after the Raiders lost their season opener 41-14 to the Denver Broncos in Oakland.
"He's not the guy I hired," Davis said in mid-August, according to the report in the Bay Area newspaper.
Speculation about Kiffin's status began in early January after reports surfaced following the season that he wanted to fire defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. The Raiders dismissed those reports and announced that Ryan was staying on as coordinator.
Kiffin was reportedly upset that he didn't have control of his coaching staff, leading Davis to ask for his resignation. If Kiffin were to resign, he would not be paid for the remaining two years of his contract.
"We don't have a general manager; everything goes through the owner," Kiffin said Wednesday. "That sets up a difficult situation at times. Knowing who the owner is, you know from Day 1 there's no job security."
Kiffin, 33, became the youngest man to coach a game in the NFL since Harland Svare took over the Los Angeles Rams as a 31-year old in 1962.
The Raiders went 4-12 in his first season in Oakland, doubling the team's win total from the previous year and showing signs of improvement in many areas.
But it marked the fifth straight year that Oakland has lost at least 10 games.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3587018
ESPN.com news services
Updated: September 14, 2008, 9:05 AM ET
The job of Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin has come under fire again from the one person that matters, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
In late January, ESPN Senior NFL Analyst Chris Mortensen reported that Raiders owner Al Davis had drawn up a resignation letter for Kiffin a week into the year and asked the coach to quit.
Now, Davis is preparing to fire Kiffin as soon as Monday, regardless of how the visiting Raiders perform Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Mercury News has reported, citing several front-office sources.
"You have to look at the history. History is what it is, that he doesn't keep people very long," Kiffin said Wednesday of Davis, two days after the Raiders lost their season opener 41-14 to the Denver Broncos in Oakland.
"He's not the guy I hired," Davis said in mid-August, according to the report in the Bay Area newspaper.
Speculation about Kiffin's status began in early January after reports surfaced following the season that he wanted to fire defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. The Raiders dismissed those reports and announced that Ryan was staying on as coordinator.
Kiffin was reportedly upset that he didn't have control of his coaching staff, leading Davis to ask for his resignation. If Kiffin were to resign, he would not be paid for the remaining two years of his contract.
"We don't have a general manager; everything goes through the owner," Kiffin said Wednesday. "That sets up a difficult situation at times. Knowing who the owner is, you know from Day 1 there's no job security."
Kiffin, 33, became the youngest man to coach a game in the NFL since Harland Svare took over the Los Angeles Rams as a 31-year old in 1962.
The Raiders went 4-12 in his first season in Oakland, doubling the team's win total from the previous year and showing signs of improvement in many areas.
But it marked the fifth straight year that Oakland has lost at least 10 games.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3587018