Minutes after the Raiders lost 44-27 to the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Jon Gruden made the long-expected move of firing defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. Whether Guenther was the reason for how bad the Raiders’ defense was is debatable. As is whether his firing will change anything. Regardless, the business of finding his replacement starts quickly and ramps up the moment the 2020 season comes to a close.
In that spirit, here are five potential replacements.
1. Wade Phillips
One of the most respected defensive minds in NFL history. The ‘Son of Bum’ Phillips got his first NFL defensive coordinator job in 1981 and was still a coordinator as recent as 2019 with the Rams. There were a lot of people calling for him to take over as the defensive coordinator with the Raiders prior to this season. Those calls will only get louder now that the job is officially open.
2. Rod Marinelli
Marinelli is the in-house candidate. He was brought in this offseason as the former defensive coordinator in Dallas to take over as the defensive line coach for the Raiders. Some thought he was hired as a potential replacement for Guenther whenever Gruden decided to make the move. It took 13 weeks into the 2020 season for that to happen, making Marinelli the interim coordinator. He could have the inside track on taking over the job full time if he’s interested.
3. Raheem Morris
Morris cut his teeth in the NFL as a defensive assistant under Gruden throughout nearly all of his time in Tampa and would ultimately succeed him as head coach of the Bucs in 2009. In the past few seasons, Morris has been an assistant with the Falcons and was named defensive coordinator this season. He is currently the interim head coach for the Falcons after they fired Dan Quinn. Morris’s Falcons handed the Raiders their biggest loss of the season three weeks ago.
4. Romeo Crennel
Crennel is another longtime respected defensive mind. He got his first defensive coordinator job in 2000. He has seven times coached a defense to a top ten ranking, most recently over four straight seasons with the Texans from 2015-18. Like Morris, Crennel is currently serving as an interim head coach after the Texans’ firing of Bill O’Brien.
5. Kris Richard
Richard didn’t coach in the NFL last season. Prior to that, he was the defensive backs coach in Dallas. Before that job, he spent eight years with the Seahawks, the final three as defensive coordinator 2015-17. In those years his defenses were ranked second, fifth, and 11th respectively. Prior to that, he was credited with overseeing the ‘Legion of Boom’ secondary as the team’s defensive backs coach. In an ever more passing league, that could be just what the Raiders need.
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