ESPN AFC West Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

As usual, the Raiders have brought out passion in readers. This week's "Sound Off" question was should Oakland consider hiring former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel as their head coach in 2009?

ESPN reported Sunday that Fassel reached out to Oakland owner Al Davis to express his desire to coach the team. As usual, your responses were terrific.

Here are several of the responses. Thanks and I look forward to next week's installment:

Felipe from Rio de Janeiro: Sincerely Bill, I just don't know what to expect. Al Davis has tried everything in the head coach position, he hired a coach with a name in the NFL (Norv Turner), a coach that worked well in the past and has strong connection with the Raiders (Art Shell) and a young, bright coach (Lane Kiffin). I just pray for the best to my beloved team..

John from Bloomington: Should Oakland hire Fassel? Hell yes. Simple as that.

Matt Hubert from Erie, PA: Davis should definitely consider Fassel. Should he hire him? That depends on the pool of candidates. I'm willing to bet there are a lot of coaches that want nothing to do with the Oakland coaching job. In the last two decades, great coaches come from the Raiders?Shanahan, Gruden?but they don't flock to an opening in Oakland. Who knows who else will even want the job if Cable is let go. The list wasn't plentiful last time Davis went searching. Lane Kiffin was far from his first choice. Davis could do worse than Fassel this time around. The Raiders need stability more than anything right now. Whoever they hire needs to have a three- or four-year window to operate. Fassel led the Giants to a Super Bowl appearance in year four. He could bring stability to Oakland, and it wouldn't hurt to have a coach that wanted to be there.

Jason from Hampton, Va/SF, Ca: I think Fassell might do a good job in Oakland. He understands the NFL game and he knows how to be a coach, which I think is somehting Kiffin was lacking. Kiffin openly said that he could not win with the players that he had. A good coach doesnt say that. Fassel knows how to run a team but he needs to surround himself with good people and replace Cable with another capable O-line coach, unless Cable can somehow be retained on the O-line. The number one thing that needs to happen in Oakland is the hiring of a GM. Since Bruce Allen left, there hasn't been anybody in which Al Davis has trusted and nobody with the knowledge of Allen. There needs to be a comparable person put in that position to get talent and sign talent as well as work the salary cap the way Allen worked along side Al Davis. Then and only then will the Raiders be able to rebuild and become a contender. Al Davis is proven to be a smart man, but he needs a trustworthy sidekick like he had before.

Eddie: At this point Al Davis should be happy that a veteran head coach who has experienced success in the NFL actually wants the job. In recent years no promising young assistant has wanted this job (i.e. Sean Peyton, Ken Whisenhunt, Josh McDaniels), and that was before the whole Lane Kiffin debacle. Fassel or no Fassel, Davis needs a good GM to turn this organization around.

Lawrence from San Jose: I wouldn't mind Fassel, but if Al goes for an experienced, offensive minded coach then why not reach across the bay and grab Mike Martz? However, I think it is important to point out that when someone like Fassel comes out and lets people know he wants the Raiders head coaching job it shows that the Raiders may be able to turn this around fairly quickly. I know big Al can be a pain, but this is a team with good young talent on both sides of the ball and possible top five draft pick next year. To me, it appears to be a team that can breakthrough with the right coaching staff.

Luke: I have been a Raider fan all my life and understand the greatness and the absurd regarding Raider Nation. I am not sure if he is interested but my vote for a new coach is for Dennis Green and Dennis Green only. Here is why - He knows talent and how to draft talent(drafting has been a huge problem in Oakland). He is great friends with Al Davis and will be respected by Al for that. He justs wins (in the regular season). He has the ability get the offensive weapons to max out on their potential. He is good at taken teams out of the gutter and making them competitive. I think he is the only candidate that can work with Davis. I would love to hear your thoughts and those from Raider Nation

Louie from San Bernardino: Hey Bill, Doing a great job, keep it up!! I absolutely feel that Al Davis should forgo his regular method of hiring coaches for the next hire, his old way hasn't worked since Jon "Chucky" Gruden, and he needs someone that the players can buy into right away, a man with experience, knowledge, respect in league circles and most of all a man that has WON before. I would love to see Fassel or Green get the next head gig in Oakland, it is what this team needs now!!!! They have some talented players, they just need direction and good coaching, they can't afford to hire a coach who is learning on the job at this point, to turn things around get an experienced man who has won in this league before and after the team gets back on track Al could hire a young guy on the staff to learn the ropes and eventually take the reigns, but please not now, we need to win now, and the only that can happen is with a person who has done before, Green and Fassel may not have won the big one before, but they both took teams to the playoffs and have had success in the past. Thats my take for now Bill, keep up the great work,and Al Davis, please do the right thing this time, it's a shame that our talented players are going to waste by not getting a chance to win, it's hurting the fans as well.

James from the Bay Area: Hey Bill, although i think Jim Fassel is probably the only available coach with enough experience to feel like a safe play, i just dont see it happening. Like you said Al Loves young coaches. Hiring a Jim Fassel or a Brian Billick just wouldnt fit in the Raider way. This year has been one of the most disappointing out our half decade vacation from the game of football, but that hasnt stopped Al from making idiot plays to try to save the team.

George from Lodi: Yes, I believe Davis should go for a veteran coach. The Raiders are in dire need of leadership and if the can't get it from a player then maybe a coach who knows how to turn a team around, that is if Davis is able to let that happen

Ricky from Santa Barbara: Al should strongly consider this. Fassel SENT a letter WANTING to coach the Raiders. Besides, I don't think there are many candidates who are willing to interview for the job. If Al does not hire Fassel, he will continue to waste Russell's progress, which, by the way, was going great under Kiffin!!!

Ryan from Oklahoma City: Regarding Fassel and the Raiders... it's going to take a lot more than a coach to change that team. It's going to take Al Davis being gone. (From the looks of him, it can't be too far away naturally, right?)

Mario from Los Angeles: Hey bill, i've been reading your comments and opinions for awhile now so i thought i would send you my thoughts. i'm a die hard Raider fan so you know the last 5 years of my life havent been so good. do you think we'll ever be a great team if Al Davis keeps doing what he does? i believe we have a talented team, we just might need a star receiver and a Defensive Leader. I think we should give Jim Fassel a chance, what do you think? He is an offensive minded coach which is what we need after 3 games without an offensive touchdown. thanks Bill

Clint G. from Midland, Texas: While Jim Harbaugh, who may be signing an extension anyway, is the sexier pick for Raiders' coach I like Fassel for a number of reasons. He's an offensive QB guru type of guy. As a coach he's not a pushover either. I don't believe he'd tolerate some of the crap that goes on in Oakland. It seems to me that Al is embarrased enough to relinquish a little power, hire a GM, and let Fassel tutor Russell-McFadden and strengthen o-line.

Brookings, SD: Why not!?! I'm a huge Raider fan since '90 and I don't see this getting any better. Here's my idea, let Fassel coach next season, after he gets fired, hire Dennis Green, then after a year or two, he'll get fired. Then, host a reality series on FOX "Who wants to coach the Raiders?" I haven't figured out who the host should be though. Think of all the money Al could rake in!

Dominick from Dayton: I think Fassel should and will be a great coach for the Raiders, he knows he can turn that team around. He sees the problems. Of course everyone knows Al Davis is still the major problem but looking at the team as itself Fassel knows and sees the changes that needs to be made. He is an experienced NFL coach who has playoff and Super Bowl experience and he even turn around the Giants. The Raiders need o-line help in the worst way. The guards and centers aren't bad. The tackles have been the problems and weak links the past few years. Kwame "Can't Plass Block" Harris and Cornell "Offsides" Green need to go. Fassel will get rid of them in a hear beat. The Rb's are set. The raiders do need to go after Chad Johnson ot TJ from the bengals or Anquan Boldin or Torry Holt for reciver help.They need a crafty veteran that is an excellent route runner like Tim Brown and Jerry Rice were who can help teach Arman Shields and Chaz Schilens. Fassel is a smart cach who will bring discipline and will scout the best talent. He will not let his team enter a season with major question marks at the tackle positions like Art Shell and Lane Kiffin did. I feel the future is bright for the Raiders with Fassel!

Robert from Vegas: Fassel must be desperate and I don't think this move will help his career in the long run, as he may be fired in his 2nd year like all the other coaches before him. His undoing may be QB Russell - if the QB is not up to par by next season and Fassel knows this, he'll be handcuffed as Al won't "allow" his top pick QB (who has all that $ behind him) to be benched. I doubt any offensive genius will be able to teach their Offensive philosophy when they know the current QB doesn't fit the model. OAK could bring in Cowher, Belicheck or Dungy, and all three of them would probably get fired in a year or two - OAK doesn't become consistent again until Al steps down or sad to say (and this is from a Chargers fan) passes on.

Phil from Pierceton, IN: Bill, Honestly, it doesn't really matter who Davis pulls in as head coach. Al Davis calls the shots and will always call the shots. Until Al Davis gives all the calls (including personnel decisions) to the head coach (or he dies *sigh*) the Raiders are going to be a joke in the NFL. Personally, I am a Broncos fan and I am glad that Davis is still around. I always know that no matter who is coaching Al Davis will ruin that football team.

Jimmy from Kansas city: I'm a big raider's fan. does it really matter which coach Al picks? Al is still going to be really involved with all the teams operations. But wouldn't you think someone young with new ideas would help rather an older coach? You think Al will get some help with the front office? Will Al learn from his mistake this last season with all the worthless free agent pickups? will he let the coaches do their job?

Brett from Ft. Collins, CO: Bill, Jim Fassel's announcement that he wants to coach the Raiders is great. After the damage old Al has done to the reputation of the raiders I would be surprised if anyone wants to coach the Raiders. Without a doubt as a diehard Raider fan I would take a coach with the experience of a Jim Fassel. He obviously views it as a challenge and has great experience in tough situations as he was once the Giants head coach dealing with the New York media.