Who is Rich Bisaccia? Meet Raiders interim head coach who replaced Jon Gruden
The Las Vegas Raiders found themselves in quite a predicament last week as damaging emails from now-former head coach Jon Gruden came to light. Gruden and Raiders owner Mark Davis agreed that both would part ways, leaving the 3-2 Raiders team without a head coach.
Shortly after Gruden announced his resignation, the Raiders made the announcement that special teams coordinator and assistant coach Rich Bisaccia would be the interim head coach for the time being.
Who is the Raiders' interim coach? Introducing Rich Bisaccia
The Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia has 38 years of coaching experience, which includes time at both the NFL and collegiate levels. After playing college football at Yankton College in South Dakota, he began his coaching career at Wayne State College.
Rich Bisaccia, who replaces Jon Gruden as #Raiders HC, has spent 20 seasons as NFL assistant coach, all as special teams coordinator (including 2021). Was assistant under Gruden for 11 seasons (2002-08 with Buccaneers, 2018-21 with Raiders)
Bisaccia coached at the collegiate level for 19 years including time at South Carolina, Clemson and Ole Miss. In 2002, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Bisaccia as the special team's coordinator, starting his NFL coaching career. Bisaccia won the Super Bowl with the Buccaneers, along with head coach at that time, Jon Gruden.
In 2008, the Bucs gave Bisaccia even more responsibility by adding assistant coach and running backs coach to his job title. Despite Gruden's departure in 2009, the Bucs kept Bisaccia on the coaching staff.
Bisaccia left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2011 and was hired by the San Diego Chargers as the team's special teams coordinator. He was promoted to assistant coach the next season.
From 2013 to 2017, Bisaccia worked as the special teams coordinator and assistant coach for the Dallas Cowboys, completely changing the special teams game plan and taking them from one of the worst in the league to a top ten squad.
Bisaccia then rejoined Jon Gruden when he was hired as the then-Oakland Raiders head coach. Since 2018, Rich Bisaccia has been the Raiders' special teams coordinator and assistant coach, and will now get his first opportunity to be an NFL head coach, even if it is at interim status.
Odds to be the next full-time #Raiders HC per @betonline_ag:
Eric Bieniemy (+600)
Brian Daboll (+650)
Joe Brady (+750)
Kellen Moore (+750)
Byron Leftwich (+900)
Matt Campbell (+900)
Todd Bowles (+900)
David Shaw (10/1)
Gus Bradley (10/1)
Matt Eberflus (10/1)
Rich Bisaccia (10/1)
Seeing as he spent time with special teams and as assistant coach, Bisaccia is already familiar with all of the staff and the players in the locker room. He already has that chemistry and familiarity with the team, and this could likely be an audition to be hired as the next Las Vegas Raiders head coach. Bisaccia now has the job of leading a 3-2 Raiders team who had two consecutive losses.