The Oakland Raiders faced a potential head coaching target last Sunday. They might face another at the end of the season.
There is no doubt that San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh will attract the interest of Oakland owner Mark Davis in the offseason if he's released from his contract. Harbaugh will likely be the top target of the Raiders, especially with former Raiders coach Jon Gruden unlikely to make himself a candidate.
However, if the Raiders don’t land Harbaugh, another coach who could become a top candidate is Jack Del Rio. The current defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos was the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003-11.
There’s a lot of reasons to connect the dots and believe Del Rio could create interest inside the Oakland organization.
He has experience, he is doing well in his current job, he is from the East Bay Area and he is highly respected around the league.
The search will not crank up until after the Raiders conclude their season at Denver on Dec. 28. But when it starts, don’t be surprised if you hear a lot about Del Rio.