The Las Vegas Raiders, in a Monday press conference, introduced a new general manager and new head coach for the 2022 season, with both selections coming to Nevada from successful runs with the New England Patriots.
Patriots director of player personnel Dave Ziegler is the new general manager for Las Vegas, with Josh McDaniels getting his second shot at a head coaching job in the NFL, taking the Raiders opening nearly a decade after being fired by the Denver Broncos in the same position.
Ziegler will replace the fired Mike Mayock, with McDaniels grabbing the job left open by the mid-season resignation of Jon Gruden after offensive e-mails surfaced from Gruden’s time working at ESPN.
The Raiders had a tumultuous 2021 season, the franchise’s second in Las Vegas. In addition to Gruden’s resignation, second-year wide receiver Henry Ruggs was released after being charged with DUI felonies following a fatal crash that killed a 23-year old woman.
Interim coach Rich Bisaccia pushed Las Vegas to a four-game winning streak in December that earned the Raiders a wild card berth, but a first-round loss to eventual AFC champion Cincinnati ended the season.
McDaniels coached the Denver Broncos from 2009 to 2010, sputtering to an 8-8 record in 2009 after a 6-0 starts, with his firing coming the following year, in the midst of a 3-9 start, having lost 17 of his 22 final games as coach.
Photo credit – Kirby Lee / USA Today / Las Vegas, NV
