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Raiders Coaching Staff Coming Together

The Raiders coaching staff is coming together under new head coach Dennis Allen. For more, visit Raiders blog Silver And Black Pride and Broncos blog Mile High Report.

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9 Total Updates since January 17, 2012
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Raiders Hire Dennis Allen, According To Reports

The Oakland Raiders have hired Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as the team's new head coach, according to reports from ESPN's Adam Schefter and Fox Sports' Jay Glazer. This move comes at the end of a day that had Allen called the "leading candidate" for the position before later reports mentioned that he was one of three finalists, one being a mystery candidate. Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie had told reporters at the Senior Bowl that Allen could wind up receiving the job after his second interview on Tuesday night.

This hire ends just a couple of weeks after McKenzie fired head coach Hue Jackson as his first act as the new general manager. Jackson coached just one year for the Raiders, finished 8-8 and missed out on the playoffs.

With Allen's departure from Denver, the Broncos will now have its seventh defensive coordinator in seven years. A year ago, Allen was the New Orleans Saints' defensive backs coach before John Fox tabbed him to be defensive coordinator with no experience at the role. Allen turned around a Broncos defense that was last in the league in 2010, largely in part due to a better pass rush. That took place with rookie linebacker Von Miller's 11.5 sacks and Elvis Dumervil's 9.5 sacks.

For more on this potential hire, be sure to check out Raiders blog Silver and Black Pride.

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Dennis Allen Is Lead Candidate For Oakland Raiders Head Coaching Job, According To Report

Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has emerged as the top candidate to fill the Oakland Raiders' head coaching vacancy, multiple sources have reportedly told ESPN. The progress is reportedly so advanced that other candidates for the job -- including Marty Mornhinweg and Mike Tice -- have been told that the Raiders have already made their decision. The Raiders fired Hue Jackson despite the fact that he lead the team to an 8-8 record, which was tied for their best record since 2002.

The hiring of Allen would be notable for several reasons. First off, he would be the first defensive coach the Raiders have hired since to be their head coach since Al Davis owned the team. John Madden, who was the linebackers coach prior to being hired as the team's head coach in 1969, was the last non-offensive coach to be hired. Allen would also become the first former Broncos coach to be hired since the Raiders lured Mike Shanahan away from them in 1988.

The Broncos did not exactly have a shutdown defense, as they ranked 24th in points allowed (24.4) and 20th in yards per game (357.8). That said, both marks would be an improvement over the Raiders' 2011 performance, as they ranked 29th in both areas.

For more on this potential hire, be sure to check out Raiders blog Silver and Black Pride.

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