The Oakland Raiders have named Tony Sparano as their interim head coach, according to ESPN's Jim Trotter. Oakland fired Dennis Allen by telephone late Monday night following a 38-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins in London on Sunday.
Raiders name Tony Sparano as interim head coach
After firing Dennis Allen, Oakland has tabbed Tony Sparano to run the ship for the rest of the season.
USA TODAY Sports
Sparano was considered a candidate alongside offensive coordinator Greg Olson and senior offensive assistant Al Saunders.
Sparano has head coaching experience as the former the lead man for the Dolphins from 2008-11. Sparano led Miami to an AFC East crown in his first season, bringing the team from a 1-15 record to an 11-5 campaign before losing in the Wild Card round to the Baltimore Ravens. Sparano had a forgettable season as the offensive coordinator of the New York Jets in 2012 before becoming the assistant head coach with the Raiders. Sparano made his name as an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys working in various offensive capacities from 2003-07.
Allen, who finished 8-28 in Oakland, was in the midst of his third year but was given his walking papers after starting 0-4. The Raiders were expected to be improved this season after adding a bevy of free agents in the offseason including Justin Tuck, James Jones, Carlos Rogers, Tarell Brown, Maurice Jones-Drew and LaMarr Woodley, but things have seemingly gotten worse. Oakland ranks last in the NFL in rushing and second-worst in stopping the run.
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