The Las Vegas Raiders have hired former New England Patriots director of player personnel Dave Ziegler as general manager on Sunday and are expected to hire Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their new head coach, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, in a package deal.
The Raiders and McDaniels are still finalizing a contract, the sources said.
The 44-year-old Ziegler, the Patriots’ director of player personnel, replaces Mike Mayock, who was fired earlier this month. He interviewed with the Raiders earlier in January.
McDaniels, who was the head coach of the Denver Broncos for two seasons (2009-10), interviewed for the Raiders’ head-coaching job Saturday.
Jon Gruden resigned as the Raiders’ head coach on Oct. 11 following reports that emails he wrote before he was hired by the Raiders in 2018 included racist, misogynistic and anti-gay language. Rich Bisaccia was promoted to interim coach and led the Raiders to a wild-card berth, only the Raiders’ second playoff appearance in the past 19 seasons.
Bisaccia was saluted on social media Sunday by both quarterback Derek Carr and defensive end Maxx Crosby. Carr tweeted that Bisaccia was a “phenomenal coach and even better leader,” while Crosby tweeted that he “can’t tell you how much this man has impacted not only myself but everyone in this building.”
He means so much to us as a team. I love this man so much and he lead us to 10 wins and a playoff birth. Phenomenal coach and even better leader! Will always be a special relationship for me! Thank you Coach! https://t.co/ZwZ0ujwBfH
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) January 30, 2022
McDaniels, 45, was 11-17 in his two seasons with the Broncos. He was fired after Week 13 in 2010 after the Broncos started 3-9. McDaniels started his Broncos tenure 6-0 before going 5-17 over his final 22 games.
He accepted the Indianapolis Colts‘ head-coaching job in 2018 but then decided not to take it. The Colts had announced the hire, but McDaniels never came to town and the Colts said they were “surprised and disappointed” by the decision. Frank Reich was later hired to fill that vacancy.
McDaniels had been the longest-tenured offensive coordinator with the same team in the NFL. He’d held the position in New England since 2012.
Of his 21 NFL seasons, 18 have come in New England, which includes his initial stint from 2001 to 2008. McDaniels also served as the St. Louis Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2011.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick recently paid McDaniels a notable compliment, comparing him to longtime friend and current University of Alabama coach Nick Saban in terms of his understanding of the responsibilities of every player on the field.
McDaniels played a key role in the development of rookie quarterback Mac Jones in 2021.
McDaniels had consistently said in recent years that his goal was to become a head coach again, but he was also selective in what opportunities enticed him. A key factor was being able to work with a personnel chief with whom he knows well, and Ziegler fits the bill.
Ziegler landed his first personnel job in the NFL under McDaniels with the Broncos in 2010. The two both attended John Carroll University in Ohio and were teammates on the Blue Streaks’ football squad.
Ziegler spent three seasons in Denver before following McDaniels to New England in 2013. He ascended from assistant director of pro personnel to director of pro personnel, then was assistant director of player personnel before assuming director of player personnel duties in 2021.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who was named the Pro Football Writers of America’s Executive of the Year in 2021, noted multiple times over the course of the season that Ziegler was leading the personnel staff.
Scouting consultant Eliot Wolf, who interviewed for multiple GM openings this offseason, was often at Ziegler’s side during games and is a candidate to fill his void.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss contributed to this report.
