Conference

Press Conference Transcript
February 4, 2009

020409 Raiders OWner Al Davis jokes with the media
Raiders Owner Al Davis chats with the media during Wednesday's press conference.

Tony Gonzales
Tom Cable was formally introduced as Head Coach of The Oakland Raiders during a press conference on Wednesday, February 4, 2009, at 1:15 p.m. at the Raiders’ facility in Alameda.

Mr. Davis: Approximately four months ago, I introduced to you Tom Cable as the interim head coach of the Raiders after the firing of Lane Kiffin. At that time, I had a hope that this guy had the ability, passion, love of our team, and love of our players that we would see improvements in the Raiders football team from what I didn’t feel was a true answer as to what we really were. To his credit, it has been a long process. There have been peaks and valleys through the process of picking a head coach. He was steadfast in his belief for the Raiders. Steadfast in his passion for the Raiders. Some of the things that he did with the football team that we can talk about later showed that we have a chance. We have a hope that we can go and do the things we think we can.

I bring up to you that since 2002, there have only been three other teams in the AFC who have played in the Super Bowl. And that means out of the 16 teams, 12 teams have not played in the Super Bowl since the year 2002. Now in the other conference, it is just totally opposite. Since 2002, they have had seven different teams play in the Super Bowl.

In any event, I am proud, and as I said it was a long process, we will tell you why and tell you some of the things that happened. And I only hope that the accountability of some of you to tell the truth will be printed, without any equivication, and firm belief in that what we tell you is exactly what happened. I will tell you along the way what happened with Tom Cable and Al Davis in the process, but what I want to do right now is introduce the new head coach of the Raiders, no longer the interim coach. And I say it with pride and I am proud of it, Tom Cable.

Coach Cable: I appreciate you all being here. Thank you for coming to this conference. You know, it’s been quite a journey, this whole thing. We will talk about this in more detail in a second, but I’m honored to have the privilege and the responsibility to be the head coach of the Oakland Raiders. I look forward to getting to work and working hard to bringing a championship to Oakland. It is something that is dear to all of us, dear to the city, and it is something that we will set out to do beginning now.

To the fans of Raider Nation, listen to me. It is time we came back to you with a team that you can be proud of every Sunday, that everyone walks into that stadium has a level of energy and excitement like no other. You have been great fans in the past, and it is time for us to give you something back, that is a great football team.

To this football team, we did some good stuff at the end. We learned what it is to be a team. We learned selflessness. We learned that the individual has no chance in this game, no chance to be business usual at this level. We will take off where we left and we will get right to work here come March. Our only goal is to get into the tournament, to get into the playoffs. To get into the playoffs, you have a chance to win the ring. That is what this organization has always been about, something that we should all look forward to. The success is in our future.

To the coaching staff that we put together, I am excited about the opportunity to pick every one of them myself. It was a great thing. I look for teachers, I look for character, and if there is one thing I do know in the beginning is that when we get this team back together in March, and with the off-season program starting, we have a chance to teach this game. And with their attitude and their abilities, we have something to look forward to.

020409 Coach Cable and Raiders Owner Al Davis in the auditorium
Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable and Raiders Owner Al Davis field questions from the media during Wednesday's press conference.

Tony Gonzales

Q: Al, why did it take as long as it did for you to make this announcement? What went on during those times, and what happened?

Mr. Davis: Three things manifested themselves. One, it was a process. And I really did consider another individual very strongly right up until the end. That individual and Tom were competing. When I met with Tom for approximately four hours and he outlined what he saw as the future of the Raiders, the staff, the players, and all those things..he told me what kind of staff he liked and I said to him, can you get that kind of staff? He said I can get that kind of staff. I said you go out and get that kind of staff and bring them back here. You tell me these are the people that you want on your staff and we will hire them. Let me see what you can do about putting a staff together. That’s number one. I gave the same consideration to the other individual. He went out with the idea of putting a staff together to bring back that would be the staff of the Raiders. And Tom was very, very strong on who he wanted to keep from the old organization and from the new organization. Number two, unfortunately, Tom suffered a very serious blow while this process was going on. His dad passed away, so we had a hiatus of about a week and a half of which all we did was talk on the telephone occasionally. But he had things to do in Merced, Seattle, and in Georgia. That held it up too. And Number three that held it up was that I could have done it last Thursday, but I didn’t want to interfere with the Super Bowl and thought that this was the best time for everyone. I didn’t want take you away from the Super Bowl, or take him, still with the things he had to do in Atlanta, Georgia, for a couple days. And so, these are the things that go on in the process and it was a battle down to the end. And I am proud to make the decision, and I thought that he took this team and showed me in those last couple of games. There were two things that came to my mind, I wanted to play the young players all year long. I wanted to play the young players. In the last two games, [Johnnie Lee] Higgins and [Chaz] Schilens accounted for five touchdowns. Higgins and Schilens accounted for five touchdowns. That was about the only time that someone started to play those two guys regularly where they could show that they could do, where they could run and show their speed. Higgins had other opportunities, but it was great that you take five touchdowns in two games and even whittle it down to two touchdowns in 16 games a piece. We have two guys that are catching eight touchdowns a piece. I think the youth of this team, if you really follow it and watch it, really has a chance to be pretty good and he believed in the youth and played them and showed us what they could do with those two young guys. H

He hired every assistant coach. I did not hire one, other than to talk to them about money, or to talk to them about philosophy. Not sure I agree with everyone, but I think that it is a hell of a staff and he hired every single coach. I just want you to know that. I want the few doubters in here who think that I hired these assistant coaches, that’s not true. I never hired Lane Kiffin’s, I never hired Art Shell’s, but on this one, I listened to him and the guys he had in mind were pro guys. People who were experienced and people who can teach.

020409 Raiders owner Al Davis answers questions
Raiders Owner Al Davis takes questions from the media during Wednesday's press conference.

Tony Gonzales
Q: Maybe it's my misunderstanding, but if you have two head coaching candidates and you tell them to go out and find what kind of staff they can get, how can they hire people?

Mr. Davis: They can’t hire people, but they can tell us who they want and tell us. We’ll bring them in to make sure we can get them. There are many times where you can get this guy. There was one guy that both of them ticketed, but what they want was responsibilities Tom or this other fella would give them. That is play-calling. Tom called the plays the last few games of the season, if you remember he took it away from Greg Knapp. It's pretty simple, that’s the way its done. That’s the way it’s done. Guys are told you have a shot at this job and immediately what are they doing? Calling around and getting a staff together. Who will join me? Who won’t join me? Things like that. Its always worked that way.

Q: What makes you so confident that this hiring will work out better than the last two hirings you made for head coach?

Mr. Davis: Well, I can only tell you that I thought Norv Turner would turn out pretty good and the first year of Norv he had Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, Jerry Porter, Ronald Curry and Doug Gabriel. I thought that Norv has a different ways of doing things and could satisfy all the receivers. What happened was we let Tim Brown go right before the season started and Jerry Rice got into argument and he didn’t catch a pass in the second game. (Rich) Gannon threw him a pass that bounced off his fingers and didn’t throw his way the rest of the game. I thought Norv would do well and he didn’t. Then we were going to go to Bobby Petrino, but instead we went to (Art) Shell and then I went to Lane Kiffin. What makes me think he’ll do well? It’s the fact that he did do well. He took over a team last year in the middle of the season and I thought he did well. There were peaks and there were valleys there. There were things that came up from time to time. He’s a young guy, but he loves it. He loves football and I admire his passion for it, whereas I’m not sure the other guys had it.

Q: Hi, Tom. You talked to prospective assistants when you weren’t under contract and I’m not sure if you hadn’t done player evaluations too, why were you willing to do that? Was it confidence that you were going to get the job?

Coach Cable: First of all, when the season was over we talked briefly on what the process would be. We took some time to reflect. We talked, initially, about the fact that I wanted to be the head coach and that was an unfortunate time. I lost my father and Al and the organization was gracious enough to give me a week-and-a half to two weeks to handle those things. Really for me, it started during the Senior Bowl and getting to know the process in this league that’s a very important time for guys to talk to prospective coaches, assistant coaches, and coordinators. At the same time, it gave me the opportunity to get a look at the talent for the new year. So, I was able to kill to birds with one stone, get a lot done. Talking to coaches and assistant coaches. I had a plan. I had a plan if that opportunity came to me, what I would move and what I would bring to the table. It was just a process of getting through it and last week was just getting final things together as we met again and talked about it all. And, here we are.

Q: Congratulations Tom. Mr. Davis was talking about peaks and valleys of last year. Can you talk about some of those peaks and valleys?

Coach Cable: I thought the first thing that jumped out at me was the first five weeks. There were some things that I thought were really trying. We had to release some players. We had to change some mindsets and get some players on the field that weren’t on it. I thought the last six weeks we became a very competitive football. A team that went 3-3 and really should have beaten Kansas City at home. I felt like this, I felt like the attitude is going the right way. I felt that they were starting to play for each other. I felt that the negative things were going away. I felt we were becoming a team that went to work for each other and that realized that its not all about stressing over winning or losing and that when you go to work every day and know when you leave every day that you gave your best. And, when you feel that way on Sunday you can win and become a playoff team. To win in your division and ultimately win your division. That’s the foundation that was laid. The peaks were at the end there and the valleys were probably at the beginning. It was climbing out of it, but we moved in the direction we wanted to go. Like I said, when this became an interim job in October, this is my dream. This is my team growing up, there isn’t anything else I rather be doing, I am honored to have this opportunity. I am very honored to what this team did the last six weeks of the season. Where we have grown as a football and I know, right now, where we need to go to be a good football team.

Q: Do you feel like you have an advantage from being the interim coach to the head coach? And, what are your biggest challenges?

Coach Cable: I do. I feel like I understand this locker room. I feel like I know who the leaders are. I know who the young people are that need to be pushed to become leaders. The biggest obstacle is getting this team evaluated with the new coaches we have. For example, the new D-line coach and knowing who he has at his position and what we need to get going for the combine, which is before the draft. Free agency starts in March. So, getting all those things laid out are the biggest things. The biggest thing is getting these new coaches with who they have at their positions. From there, making those decisions.

020409 Coach Cable answers questions from the media
Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable answers questions from the media at Wednesday's press conference.

Tony Gonzales
Q: No doubt that the players really responded to you toward the end of the year. They really played hard. They are professionals they are going to played hard no matter what. For some reason it just seemed to change. Why do you think the players responded to you?

Coach Cable: Well, I think first and foremost. They are going to know where I stand and I’m going to tell them the truth. I’m going to love how they work, I’m going to love them for that. When we go into the locker room on Sunday it's all of us against whoever they put out there. I think that mentality about taking care of each other and coaching for them and them playing for us and vice versa. All of that is so important that it does not work unless is all for one. I think that hopefully I brought that to them and hopefully they know that I [care] about them. As we continue to get better if you look at games like… I’m just going back to the Buffalo game, the Miami game, the Carolina game here. You could pick out three or four games right away that if we had that bond really to where it has come to and it has to get better, no question, but if we had that in place at those times we would have won those football games and that is the difference between winning and losing in the National Football League. We all have talented players and we have a young football team that has to mature, that has to grow up. We have to get some guys improved fundamentally, but I think that if you have that 'it' if you will in place, you win those football games and if you put two or three more wins on our record from last year, I think we win the division. That is how close we are. But make no mistake, all that talent and that big arm that JaMarcus [Russell] has and the fast legs that Darren [McFadden] has and the entire pass rushing that [Derrick] Burgess has...it does not mean anything, it does not make any difference if you can not put it there for each other with the passion and love for each other. That is how you win football games.

Q: Just trying to get this timeline right Mr. Davis. You said that Tom hired all the assistants. I know quite a few of them. You said that you did not hire [Cable] until Thursday. Guys like Lionel Washington, Skipper, Henry, Sanjay, Fassel. What I’m wondering is because this are guys that Tom wanted, what were you going to do if you had picked the other guy? What was going to become of all these hires that he made if you ended up hiring a different coach?

Mr. Davis: I went over that with him, the other fella. I don’t like to say the other guy. He understood and he was willing to accept it. You have to understand that we are hiring about 15 coaches. This is not an easy thing. He was willing to accept it that if we believed in it, if we thought that he was a good hire. I told him what we had done, who we had retained from the old staff and he was willing to accept it that way. He was interested in his offensive coordinator, his defensive coordinator. That was what he was interested in, although he was going to call his own plays so he really was not that interested in his offensive coordinator.

Q: [Who is going to call the plays]?

Coach Cable: I’m going to call the plays. We’ll get into this more a little later about the staff. Ted Tollner is going to be the passing game coordinator and we’ll move in that direction with them. We’ve talked about it with them. We’ll get great input from them as I just mentioned. They have a lot of experience and are very very valuable to what we are going to do. There’s a purpose and reason to why everyone was hired. Let’s be perfectly clear with this, I hired the coaches I thought would help us get to the playoffs at every position. The timeline isn’t the issue. The issue is we did the right thing for The Oakland Raiders to move forward. To be a playoff team and to find that success we all deserve.

020409 Coach Cable talks to the media
Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable chats with the media at Wednesday's press conference.

Tony Gonzales
Q : Tom, can you take us through the moment Mr. Davis shed the “interim” title from you? And, how did it differ from when you initially got the title?

Coach Cable: At first, there was so much going on with the change and everything. One minute you’re the line coach and the next you’re the head coach. To get organized and as I said earlier, those first few weeks were difficult times in changes that need to be made. Getting organized and getting the staff in the direction you needed it to go. I was so busy, I didn’t really have time to think about it. This time was very special. This is my team as a kid, this is a dream come true. I’m proud of it. I’m very appreciative in the opportunity to do this and the Oakland Raiders are back. We’re back. We’re going to go and win football games and we’re going to be a playoff team. You hear me? I’m not afraid to say that. All that negative is done. It’s our time now. Every great team in sports and there are three. In baseball it’s the New York Yankees. In basketball it’s the Boston Celtics and in football it’s The Oakland Raiders. All three of them have had their tough times. We’ve had ours. It ain’t been any fun. All of you have been through them longer than I have. But you know what? Now I get to be a part of the next set of great times. Every great team has done it. We’re no different than those other two.

Q: One, how serious did you consider Kevin Gilbride, I know you spoke to him on the phone for 1-1/2 hour, and brought him out? The second question, there was a report about Don Martindale, what did he interview with you for and did the head coaching job come up at all?

Mr. Davis: Number one, Kevin Gilbride is a bright, very exceptional coach and got tremendous consideration. He’s very good. And, Don Martindale was told what he could be here if he wanted to stay and he decided to go to Denver (Broncos) as the linebackers coach. Don Martindale was not considered as the head coach.

Q: Tom, I want to remind you we’re reporters and not fans, you sound like you are giving a motivational speech when you say “It’s our time, now.” Why should we believe you now?

Coach Cable: Because, it’s who I am.

Q: Is it who the team is?

Coach Cable: You bet it is. I’ll tell you why. When you look at the nucleus of this team, the make up of this team. Everybody would like to jump on when things are bad, you’ve had your chance. The make-up of this team is young, it's tough, it's smart, it's athletic, and you all know one thing about an Oakland Raider football team…it can fly. This football team just needs leadership and passion to play the game for each other, with each other and I believe I bring that to the table. If you paid attention, I am who I am. It is what it is. I’m this way whether it's at practice. I’m this way whether it's on Sunday. Or, I’m this way when I’m here sitting in front of you. I love this team. You ask why? It's because I believe in this team, that’s why.

Q: Do you think if you had been the head coach at the start of this season, this team would have made the playoffs?

Coach Cable: Yeah, I do. Because I believe in what I’m doing and I believe in this football team. So, yeah I do. But, that's not what it was. It worked out the way it was supposed to. I’m the head coach now and our goal will be to be a playoff team and get a chance at that Super Bowl.

Q: Have you hired a defensive coordinator? And I believe when you talked about Paul Hackett and Ted Tollner, you didn’t mention an offensive coordinator title for either one of them. Will there be an offensive coordinator?

Coach Cable: I don’t believe it’s necessary at this point because my involvement with the two of them. It wasn’t something I felt was necessary. To the defensive coordinator, I have hired John Marshall who will lead our defense. I’ll go ahead and give you those names real quick... Dwaine Board will be defensive line coach; Mike Haluchak will be the linebackers coach; Lionel Washington will be the defensive backs coach along with Willie Brown; On offense, as I mentioned Ted will be the passing game coordinator; Paul will be coaching the quarterbacks; Kelly Skipper will move from tight ends to coaching running backs; Sanjay Lal will go from being the assistant receivers coach to the receivers coach; And, Adam Henry will go from being a quality assistant coach to tight ends coach. The only position I haven’t hired yet is offensive line. I have hired a special teams coordinator who will be John Fassel, who is moving up from assistant special teams coordinator. The offensive line coach hasn’t been hired because that’s where I live. I have a plan for that and it will be done here shortly and out of respect for that we will get it done and when its time we’ll announce it.

Q: Now, how much input will you have in terms of eliminating and adding new players and in the draft what are some of your needs?

Coach Cable: In regards to the draft, those things are getting the new coaches familiar with the players they’re going to be coaching. That’s an issue for down the road. Before we can really get into this process they got to be understanding who they got to coach and how they’re going to get them better. We’ll have a plan for that, so it’ll be immature to talk about the draft and all those things right now. How we’re going to go through free agency and prepare for the draft and all of that, Al and I have talked about that. This is a partnership. I need his leadership, I need his wisdom. I need his experience. That is something I told him from the very beginning, there are some things that I’ll ask him to teach me and this is one of those things. At the same time, we’ve had great discussions about personnel. Whether it be players on our team or other teams. We’ve had agreements and we’ve had disagreements, but it's been great. The partnership in it has been exactly what I wanted it to be. Being able to be taught by a guy who probably knows more about football than anybody in the National Football League.

Q: A lot of coaches have come here in the past and have really bucked the Raider tradition of football, what is your style of football? What is your offensive philosophy? Will Raider football be incorporated in that philosophy?

Coach Cable: I think so. I think one of the things I’m most excited about is to put the complete stamp on it, if you will. Toughness, discipline, act with honor, play with honor, and play for each other. Throw it over their heads and when you get them down, beat them down by running the football. I think you score points by throwing the football, I mentioned that to you during the season, and you win championships by your ability to run the football at the end of games. Defensively, this team is very talented on defense. Not to put pressure on anyone, but it is. I’ve been around them for two years. I want to get back to what I used to see and I see it on NFL Films all the time. Raiders knocking off helmets and knocking them down and beating them down on defense. We’ve been fine on special teams, tremendous this past year. We can get better in all areas, but I want us to go back to playing hard, tough-nosed, playing the game the way it should be played by an Oakland Raider.

Q: For Mr. Davis, you guys spent more money than anybody in the NFL in free agency, when you look back on that spending spree last year? And, do you apply any of those lessons to this season?


Mr. Davis: I think you always learn from experience, but I don’t believe in consistency. I don’t believe that because you failed one year that you can’t succeed the next. But, I don’t think we did well in free agency. We went out and got the players on the market that were considered the best players at their positions available. And, they did not fare well for us. One was injured, that’s Javon (Walker), and certainly DeAngelo (Hall) got picked on the first game. We would have won that game had we played the other guy. When we went back and played them again and played the other guy, we won the game. That’s all it was. It was one guy that they took advantage of and beat us. When we went and played them again they were going to get after the new guy and they couldn’t get after the new guy. It’s a tough year for me because we didn’t do well in free agency, but I'd rather be right than consistent so we’ll see what happens. I think with the lockout looming down the road and what’s happening in free agency, I don’t know that you’re going to see the big bonuses you see for players. I just don’t know your'e going to see that.

Q: In a couple weeks, you have to decide what you’re going to do with (Nnamdi) Asomougha. That seems like a key move. Have you given much thought as to what you’re going to do?

Coach Cable: You know what, I have. I have looked at the roster a number of times and there is much to do in regards to Nnam, Shane Lechler, other free agents we have on our football team. We have a number of good players that are in free agency, so it’ll be an important time as we go through this. Nnam’s important, Shane’s important, all of them are important and that will be addressed rather quickly.

Q: What’s been your last contact with JaMarcus Russell? Are you satisfied that he’s staying in shape and is he carrying on from the way he picked up steam last year?

Coach Cable: I have talked to him at the Senior Bowl. He’s here now. My feeling with JaMarcus is that he has really embraced what his responsibility and role is. He had a rookie season that was short. He came in late and had played a few games there and started one game. Of course, he started the entire season this year. I think, through all that he has learned and accepted what his responsibility and role is. I’m not surprised to see him back now and doing the things that he needs to lead this football team.