Raiders choose Tony Sparano as interim head coach
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Offensive line coach Tony Sparano has been named interim head coach of the Oakland Raiders. The team fired Dennis Allen Monday night over the team's 0-4 start to the season.
At a news conference Tuesday, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said he has hopes that this change can spark a turnaround for a team that has lost 10 straight games dating to last season.
"Yes, I do believe what we put together this offseason was a roster that could win," McKenzie said. "I'm not going to get into all the particulars of why it didn't work for Dennis. But the bottom line is it didn't work. For whatever reason, not only the 0-4 start but our play did not represent what we were capable of. That's the bottom line."
Allen was the first head coach hired by Oakland after Al Davis' death in October 2011. His 8-28 record is the worst for the franchise since before Davis arrived in 1963. His contract was set to run through next season.
Sparano becomes Oakland's eighth coach in the past 12 seasons. The Raiders have not made the playoffs or had a winning record since winning the 2002 AFC championship.
While he was not ready to offer specifics on Tuesday, Sparano did say there would be a philosophy change when the team returns from the bye week to play its next game at home against San Diego on Oct. 12.
"We need to make sure we're asking our football players here as coaches to do the things that they do best," Sparano said. "We have some good football players here, a lot of them. They do a lot of good things. We need to let them do what they do best."
Management is making a lot of promises about a team turn-around. But are the fans buying any of it?
VIDEO: Fans weigh in on Raiders' coaching shakeup
"This thing needs to turn around, man, we've been waiting for over 10 years, man," said Kelvin Bridges.
Bridges is a hardcore Raiders fan. He's disappointed with his team's performance on the field.
"I like Sparano," he said. "Hopefully he can get this team to fight and fight hard, that's all we want. We just wanna see the Raiders fight, don't roll over like a bunch of wallflowers, man, that's all I wanna see."
Fighting hard is not what the Raiders did in their crushing loss to Miami on Sunday.
The minute it was announced that Allen was fired, fans took to social media, using the hashtags #RaidersNation and #AllenFired.
Chris Dobbins sits on the Board of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, the management company that oversees the leasing agreements with the Coliseum. He says turning things around on the field begins with the Raiders making a promise to fans.
"It starts with a commitment to staying in Oakland," Dobbins said. "When they see that the Raiders are committed to staying here, I think the business community is going to embrace it even more. And then I think once you have that foundation, then you move forward."
A promise from Sparano to turn things around, and loyal fans ready for a win.
"Raider Nation! Raider Nation is is the best thing about the Raiders, man," said Bridges with a big smile.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
