Reports: Raiders hiring Josh McDaniels as coach, Dave Ziegler as general manager

By Case Keefer (contact)

Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022 | 10:47 a.m.

The Raiders have their 22^nd coach in franchise history, and it might be an uncomfortable hire to a segment of the fan base.

Longtime New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is expected to accept the position, according to a report by ESPN's Adam Schefter. Fellow New England staffer Dave Ziegler is also reportedly on the way to Las Vegas, according to NFL Network, as the team's new general manager.

The team has confirmed Ziegler's appointment. 

McDaniels will return to the AFC West for his second head-coaching job after he went 11-17 in two seasons with the Denver Broncos in 2009 and 2010. Zeigler has been referred to as the "de facto general manager" of the Patriots. Coach Bill Belichick had final personnel say, but Ziegler was otherwise in the highest position of power in the franchise's front office.

Ziegler spent nine seasons with the Patriots after starting his NFL career in the Broncos' scouting department. Similarly, McDaniels has spent his entire NFL career in New England other than the short stint in Denver and an ensuing one-year stop as the Rams' offensive coordinator. His first year with the Broncos was 2001, the season that the Patriots defeated the Raiders in the AFC divisional round in the Tuck Rule game.

Perhaps haunted by those memories as well as his unproductive stint in Denver, some Las Vegas fans loudly opposed McDaniels’ hire on social media once news of the Raiders’ serious interest spread. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh seemed to be the preferred choice of the fan base, and though he was long rumored for and potentially interested in the position, the Raiders reportedly never as much as requested an interview with him.

Unlike other franchises in coaching searches this offseason, the Raiders did not publicly disclose their candidates. They held interviews with their own interim coach Rich Bisaccia, Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo and Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, according to reports.

But McDaniels was the most recent — he interviewed Saturday — and might have been the target from the beginning. The 45-year-old Michigan State graduate has been highly sought-after for coaching vacancies the last several years, but choosy on which jobs he considers.

He infamously accepted the Indianapolis Colts’ coaching position in 2018 before reversing course and staying with the Patriots, where’s been a part of six Super Bowl-winning staffs. It was often said afterwards that McDaniels would only leave for the perfect situation, which he must believe he found with Raiders owner Mark Davis.

The Raiders are expected to announce McDaniels’ hiring with an introductory news conference next week.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned to lasvegassun.com late for more coverage.

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or