The job of Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin has come under fire again from the one person who matters, according to the Contra Costa Times.
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 performed Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bay Area newspaper has reported, citing several front-office sources.
"That's not my decision whether I'll be here, so why waste time on it," Kiffin said after Sunday's 23-8 win over the Chiefs, which featured Darren McFadden running for 164 yards. "If I'm here, we'll do the same this week."
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.
"He's not the guy I hired,"
Davis said
in mid-August of Kiffin, according to the Times report.
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.
"When I deal with Al Davis, guys, it's in the offseason," Ryan said Thursday. "And here's the thing: Al Davis knows football. And I'll have four-hour conversations with him in the offseason about everything in this league. About offenses, about players, about scheme, about everything, but during the week, guys, I don't have time to talk to my wife, OK? If I'm going to make one phone call, it's going to be her, all right? That's the truth. I'm just telling you the truth."
Kiffin had been reportedly upset that he didn't have control of his coaching staff in January, leading Davis to ask for his resignation. If Kiffin were to resign, he wouldn't be paid for the remaining two years of his contract.
"You have to look at the history. History is what it is, that he doesn't keep people very long," Kiffin said Wednesday. "We don't have a general manager; everything goes through the owner. That sets up a difficult situation at times. Knowing who the owner is, you know from day one there's no job security."
The Raiders went 4-12 in Kiffin's 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.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.