In an eventful week, the new ownership of the Oakland Raiders has opened with a bang. After dismantling the former regime, Oakland has hired one of the NFL's top coaches of all time, Marty Schottenheimer. With a career record of 200-126 and 13 playoff appearances, Schottenheimer brings with him the experience and passion for the game that this franchise has been missing for some time. Along with him came the NFL's 2009 Coach of the Year, Marvin Lewis, who agreed to sign on with the organization as the Defensive Coordinator. It is speculated that the Raiders may make moves this offseason to build a defense that will emulate the zone blitzing scheme that Lewis had perfected in Baltimore. Lewis orchestrated the defensive scheme that the Ravens used to win a Super Bowl, and other than a few lackluster years, the team has been among the league’s best units under several different coaching regimes. On the other side of the ball, Oakland hired the New York Jets' Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Line Coach, Bill Callahan. Once a member of the Oakland Raiders organization, new management looks to bring back his talented mindset to rebuild this once great offensive unit. During his tenure as not only head coach but also offensive coordinator for the Raiders, Callahan earned a reputation as one of the finest offensive minds in the NFL. The team plans to build around his west coast offensive scheme this offseason.
