by Ira Miller
The problems between Raiders coach Lane Kiffin and team owner Al Davis, which have flared into open warfare between the two, date almost back to the day when Kiffin was hired a year ago, according to a team source.
As a young, first-time head coach, Kiffin was so eager for the job that he took Davis' word on his responsibilities, and did not get them in writing, a mistake that former Raiders coaches could have warned him about.
Even Kiffin's predecessor, Art Shell, a long-time Davis favorite, was spared further indignity after he was fired because his contract language protected him. Davis wanted Shell to work out his contract as the team's offensive line coach, but language in Shell's contract specifically outlined his duties as the head coach.
Now, Davis is trying to avoid paying off Kiffin, so he is trying to make his coach so miserable that he will quit after just one season. Although published reports say Kiffin has two years at $2 million a year remaining on his contract, a team source with knowledge of the contract said there is only one year remaining at $1.7 million. The third year of the deal is at the team's option and is not guaranteed.
"Al never has signed a new coach to a (guaranteed) three-year deal," the source said. "Even Jon Gruden had a two-year contract at first; then he got a three-year deal the next time."
In the latest volley, Davis essentially has ostracized Kiffin from all meetings and planning sessions having to do with Raiders personnel, and has refused to allow Kiffin to decide the makeup of his coaching staff. Kiffin thought he had some of those responsibilities when he was hired, but they were not included in the contract.
The Raiders' source said, simply, "Al doesn't do that."
Although the bomb that set the most recent developments in motion was Kiffin's attempt to fire defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, Kiffin and Davis began clashing on staff makeup a year ago over a contract for Mark Jackson, Kiffin's top administrative aide.
Jackson got neither the money nor the length of agreement that Kiffin thought Davis had agreed to. By mid-season, Davis essentially had Jackson moved out of his office in the personnel department and rendered him a non-person.
On draft day, as has been reported, Kiffin stood up to Davis and convinced him to trade Randy Moss, who had done nothing in two years with Oakland. Kiffin also was lukewarm on top draft pick JaMarcus Russell, a quarterback Kiffin did not believe fit his offensive style.
When Russell didn't play until late in the season and then played poorly, Davis blamed Kiffin, although Davis had been warned before drafting Russell to expect a protracted contract negotiation that would inhibit Russell's progress. That's exactly what happened, and Russell missed all of training camp.
In season-ending meetings with his staff, Kiffin fired Ryan, whose defense slid from No. 3 in the NFL, based on yards allowed, in 2006, to No. 22 in 2007. Ryan went to Davis to thank him for the time he spent in Oakland and Davis blew up, telling Ryan that Kiffin had no authority to fire him. As a result, Ryan remains on the staff.
Kiffin also wanted to fire about five other assistant coaches whom he had hired. Davis refused to allow that to happen because he did not want to pay off the year all of them had remaining on their contracts.
Davis became further enraged during the playoffs when Norv Turner, the Oakland coach in 2004-05, took San Diego to the AFC Championship Game and Moss helped New England reach the Super Bowl.
Now, apparently Davis has reached out to former Vikings and Cardinals coach Dennis Green as a replacement whenever Kiffin either resigns or is fired. It's difficult to see how that pairing would work, either, because Green both is independent-minded and has a resume that means he wouldn't come cheap, always a requirement for a Davis coach.
Green presumably also would want to put his own staff together, something that was at the crux of the battle between Davis and Kiffin.
Oakland has not had a winning season since Bill Callahan succeeded Gruden for the 2002 season and led the team to the Super Bowl. Callahan was fired a year later after going 4-12. Over the last five seasons, the Raiders have had a record as good as 5-11 only once, and their overall record, 19-61, is by far the worst in the NFL.
Kiffin was the team's fourth coach since Gruden, following Callahan, Turner and Shell. The Raiders have had seven coaches since returning from Los Angeles to Oakland for the 1995 season, and only Gruden lasted longer than two years.
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