Raiders name Rich Bisaccia interim head coach

Rich Bisaccia (YouTube)

The Las Vegas Raiders have made a coaching change five weeks into the 2021 National Football League regular season. On Monday night, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden resigned after it was revealed he sent a series of emails containing “misogynistic and homophobic language” directed at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and a racist term to describe NFL union chief DeMaurice Smith according to the Associated Press. It should be noted that there were several inappropriate emails sent by Gruden over a time period from 2011 to 2018 while he was an analyst for ESPN.

With the resignation of Gruden, the Raiders named Rich Bisaccia their new head coach on an interim basis for the time being. At 61 years of age, Bisaccia is a native of Yonkers, New York. He has been the Raiders assistant head coach and special teams coordinator since 2018.

Prior to his time in Vegas, Bisaccia spent nine seasons as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2002 to 2010, two seasons with the San Diego Chargers from 2011 to 2012, and five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys from 2013 to 2017. During his time as an assistant head coach, Bisaccia has been a special teams coordinator, however, he was also the Buccaneers running backs coach in 2008.

It should be noted that Bisaccia has a long-term connection with Gruden. The two were with the Buccaneers from 2002 to 2008, and won a Super Bowl together in 2003 when the Buccaneers hammered the Oakland Raiders 48-21.

The change in the Raiders head coach comes at a time when Las Vegas had won three of their first five games to begin the 2021, but are coming off back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Chicago Bears.

A year ago, Gruden was fined $100,000 for not wearing a mask when the NFL imposed strict regulations when many had not been vaccinated yet for coronavirus. Gruden was among a series of coaches who were subsequently fined. 

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