The Las Vegas Raiders have their new general manager and head coach as they’re finalizing hires of Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly.
Contract talks are “basically done,” according to a source. A formal announcement is expected as soon as Monday, per multiple sources.
For all the latest NFL head coaching news and rumors, make sure to bookmark our 2022 NFL Head Coach Tracker.
Update: The Raiders announced that they hired Dave Ziegler to be their next general manager.
Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler set to be hired by the Las Vegas Raiders
The partnership in Las Vegas of the two former New England Patriots employees continues a collaboration that began with them as college teammates at John Carroll University, a Division III powerhouse that has also produced Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio and several other NFL executives, including Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco.
McDaniels had dinner with the Raiders’ leadership team on Friday night, according to sources. He then had a day-long interview with Las Vegas that went smoothly and culminated in an understanding that he would become their new head coach.
Unlike when McDaniels backed out of an agreed-upon deal with the Indianapolis Colts, this time there were no cold feet.
McDaniels had informed the Raiders that he wouldn’t accept their interview request unless he was being offered the job, per sources. And the Raiders told McDaniels that if and when he was offered the position, he needed to be prepared to accept. Sources emphasized that all parties were on the same page, including McDaniels, Ziegler, Raiders owner Mark Davis, and team president Dan Ventrelle.
Raiders will rely on McDaniels-Ziegler partnership
When McDaniels was head coach of the Denver Broncos, he hired Ziegler to work in the scouting department. At the time, Ziegler was an assistant coach at an Arizona high school.
Ziegler has since worked his way up the New England ranks. He just wrapped up his first season as the Patriots’ player personnel director after spending several years in pro personnel and scouting.
Now, Ziegler is about to join his good friend in Las Vegas. It’s a coveted job, attached to one of the glitziest locations and stadiums in the National Football League.
Ziegler will become one of several former Patriots staffers now in an NFL general manager role. That list includes Jason Licht (Buccaneers), Jon Robinson (Titans), and Caserio (Texans).
Raiders owner Mark Davis willing to spend big for the right coach
McDaniels is the highest-paid assistant coach in the NFL at roughly $4 million annually. He’ll make significantly more in Las Vegas, per sources.
McDaniels has been lauded for his previous work with star quarterback Tom Brady during his New England tenure. He’s also been praised for this season’s efforts developing Mac Jones, a first-round draft pick from Alabama. McDaniels has three Super Bowl victories as an offensive coordinator and was part of New England’s staff for six Super Bowl wins.
McDaniels, 45, was hired as the Broncos’ head coach in 2009. He went 8-8 in his first season after beginning the year with six consecutive wins. However, he was then fired in 2010 after starting 3-9 in his second campaign.
As for Ziegler, he’s regarded as a strong talent evaluator with a good background in pro and college scouting. He has a sense of the big picture, strong talent evaluation, and people skills. He developed a task-oriented style while working under Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
“Dave is outstanding,” a source said. “He’s a great fit with Josh in Las Vegas. This is a strong move by the Raiders.”