Programming note: For comprehensive Raiders coverage, tune into SportsNet Central tonight at 6 p.m., 10:30 and midnight on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area
The Raiders are lining up interviews for prospective head coaches, and their list is slanted towards men with previous head-coaching experience.
It isn’t essential. The Raiders have reportedly reached out to Arizona about defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Indianapolis about offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians told Sirius XM Radio that every team with a head coaching vacancy had asked for permission to speak with Bowles. Arians also said that Bowles will interview for jobs next week. The Raiders are expected to speak with the highly-regarded assistant. Bowles interviewed with the Raiders in 2012, when Dennis Allen was hired.
[BAIR: Raiders head-coaching options]
ESPN’s Josina Anderson, citing sources, indicated that the Raiders have requested to speak with Hamilton, a highly respected offensive mind with Stanford ties. He was an offensive coordinator under Cardinal coach David Shaw and has worked extensively with Andrew Luck.
According to reports, the Raiders also have interviews with Philadelphia offensive coordinator Pat Schurmur and 49ers tight ends coach Eric Mangini, both of whom were head coaches. There’s strong interest in Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and, while nothing regarding him has been made public, the East Bay native is expected to interview for the Raiders job.
[RELATED: Report: Shurmur to interview for Raiders' head coaching job]
Interim head coach Tony Sparano is also in the mix, and sources indicated there’s support for him to be retained.
This list of names also implies that general manager Reggie McKenzie will be retained.
[BAIR: Sparano: 'This is my team']
A few interviewees made public in recent days have ties to him. Shurmur’s uncle Fritz was defensive coordinator in Green Bay when McKenzie was director of player personnel. Bowles worked in the Packers front office for a small part of McKenzie’s time in Green Bay, from 1994-2012.
Mangini was hired as Cleveland head coach by Mike Holmgren, who worked with McKenzie in Green Bay and consulted with the Raiders during the 2014 season.
