The Raiders will have a brand new coaching staff soon enough. A familiar face will reportedly be in the ranks.
Former Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson could return to that post, the Sporting News reported on Thursday evening. The current Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach would be allowed out of his contract to team up with old friends.
He would re-team with Jon Gruden, assuming he’s hired, as expected, as the Raiders next head coach. Olson was Tampa Bay’s quarterbacks coach under Gruden in 2008, and eventually became the Buccaneers offensive coordinator through 2011.
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Olson spent a season in Jacksonville before becoming Raiders offensive coordinator from 2013-14, which included Carr’s rookie season.
Carr learned a ton from Olson during a trying 3-13 season, when the young signal caller didn’t have many weapons around him.
Olson was let go with interim head coach Tony Sparano and most of that coaching staff. He went back to Jacksonville, and has been credited for helping Rams head coach Sean McVay kickstart Jared Goff’s career.
Don't forget that, if Gruden is hired, he's expected to call offensive plays.
In other Gruden coaching staff news, NFL Network reports former Cowboys running backs coach Gary Brown is a candidate for that same position in Oakland.
Former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon also remains publicly noncommittal about reports that he would be the new Raiders quarterbacks coach. He told 95.7 The Game on Wednesday that he would consider it only after Gruden has been officially announced as Raiders head coach.
“At that point I think it'd be an appropriate time,” Gannon said, “if in fact he has interest in me being a part of it, to sit down and have a conversation."