In what could be a sign of the legitimacy of the candidacy — or at least an olive branch — the Raiders brought in the big guns for a recent interview.
According to Scott Bair and Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com, the Raiders had Hall of Fame coach John Madden sit in with owner Mark Davis when former coach Mike Shanahan interviewed for the job.
It’s unclear if Madden has been a regular participant in other interviews, or what his role would be moving forward.
If nothing else, it’s a sign of one family member breaking the ice with a guy whose relationship with the organization was frosty.
Mark’s father Al fired Shanahan four games into his second season coaching the team, and the tensions between the two continued for years.
But if Madden was present for Shanahan’s interview, it helps bridge the generations between the father who couldn’t get along and the son who might want Shanahan to help fix things.
Madden also sat in when Davis interviewed eventual General Manager candidate Reggie McKenzie in 2012.
