Maybe the “Patriot Way” wasn’t quite done with the Las Vegas Raiders—it turns out that Bill Belichick might’ve been in play after all.
Raiders owner Mark Davis always gets his guy; that much is true. Whether it was Jon Gruden, Josh McDaniels, or, more recently, Antonio Pierce, the difference with the latter was that the locker room was literally imploring Davis to retain him. Well, he did just that. Star defensive end Maxx Crosby got the coach that he so publicly championed in the end.
The apparent failure of trying to instill a Patriots-like culture in Sin City still looms for Raiders fans. Raider Nation largely hated it from the outset. However, it’s possible that Davis wasn’t completely over it. Let’s face it, the Patriots were the model for championship football for nearly a generation. Say what you will about their recent decline.
Still, maybe Belichick was the right “general” for the Raiders; God knows it wasn’t his “soldier” in Josh McDaniels. Belichick himself said the same thing when he referred to his disciples as not up to the task of leading teams.
Bill Belichick might’ve been the next Raiders head coach…
Regardless of your feelings towards Belichick, he could have been the Raiders’ next coach. According to ESPN, particularly Jeremy Fowler, Seth Wickersham, and Don Van Natta Jr., Belichick was indeed going to be a serious candidate for Davis.
“The Raiders had just fired a pair of Belichick’s former acolytes in Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler. Owner Mark Davis considered reaching out to Belichick but instead removed the interim from head coach Antonio Pierce’s title after interviewing other candidates.”
Whether Davis made the right call is far from known. Sure, Pierce has Raider Nation fired up and has his locker room amped up—those are all good things, but the team has to deliver. Belichick wouldn’t have been a guarantee by any stretch, but if you’re comparing resumes, there’s no comparison, all things considered.
*Top Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images