Regardless of if the Las Vegas Raiders end this season with a playoff appearance or not, the franchise will go into the offseason needing to find a new head coach. The team has soldiered forward with Rich Bisaccia as the interim coach, but owner Mark Davis will be looking at all different options to fill that void.
One name who has been brought up in recent head coach searches the last offseason was Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. With the success of the Bucs defense last season, many believed he would get another head coaching shot, but he returned to Tampa this season, where the Bucs defense, particularly against the run, has been outstanding again.
With the Raiders looking to fill their head coaching void this offseason, the team is reportedly expected to interview Bowles for their vacancy, according to Jason La Canfora of NFL.com:
The Raiders are expected to interview former Jets head coach Todd Bowles for their head coaching vacancy in the coming weeks, league sources indicated, as owner Mark Davis tries to find the long-term replacement to departed face of the franchise Jon Gruden.
Bowles is a candidate who has come up with the Raiders in past searches, and his strong resume, and past head coaching success resonate with the owner, sources said.
Bowles is an interesting candidate as his defensive credentials have been proven time and time again, and as was noted, he does have head coaching experience. However, calling it success might be a bit of a reach as he had just one winning season in four with the New York Jets. Overall he went 24-40 as the head coach in New York without making a playoff appearance.
The Bucs defensive coordinator will again be a hot commodity this offseason as the Jacksonville Jaguars are also looking to interview Bowles. In addition, the Bucs themselves are reportedly considering him a candidate to replace current head coach Bruce Arians should he choose to retire.
Who else the Raiders are considering is sure to come out in the coming weeks, but the franchise will explore all possibilities in figuring out who is the best person to lead this franchise in the coming years.
