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1/20/2004 DALLAS (AP) — The Oakland Raiders appeared
close Tuesday to hiring Dallas Cowboys assistant Sean Payton
as their new head coach. Several news organizations reported
that Payton would receive a four-year contract to replace
Bill Callahan, fired after a 4-12 season.
"I'm very excited to meet Coach Payton," Raiders center
Barret Robbins told The Associated Press on Tuesday night.
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"I'm certainly happy for the organization that the process is over.
You have to be happy, at least if you're on offense. One of the
first things I think he'll be thinking about is who the defensive
coordinator is going to be," he said.
The Raiders made no official announcement on Payton.
"Nobody's confirming or denying anything around here," team
spokesman Artie Gigantino said. "The process is continuing. As you
know, he was here."
The 40-year-old Payton, who would become the league's youngest head
coach, met with owner Al Davis for a second interview this week. And
in the past, Davis has given chances to young coordinators with
offensive minds who don't have previous head coaching experience.
Payton, one of four candidates to speak face-to-face with Davis, was
the only person to come back for a second interview.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones told DallasCowboys.com
Tuesday afternoon from the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., that he
spoke with Payton on the phone earlier that morning.
"I know they met for a few hours today," Jones said of Payton and
the Raiders. "But I don't know much more than that. I know there
hasn't been anything official as of right now."
Payton, who's about four months younger than Tampa Bay coach Jon
Gruden, has a connection to the Raiders. He worked with Gruden and
Callahan in Philadelphia in 1997 and '98 as a quarterbacks coach for
the Eagles. He then went to the New York Giants for four seasons as
an offensive coordinator before joining the Cowboys in 2003.
The Raiders also had interest in Kansas City offensive coordinator
Al Saunders and Dennis Green, who became the new coach of the
Arizona Cardinals on Jan. 9.
Davis also has a vacancy at general manager after senior assistant
Bruce Allen left for a similar position with the Buccaneers earlier
this month.
The Raiders tied with three other teams for fewest wins in the
league in the biggest collapse by a team that reached the Super Bowl
the previous year. Oakland, plagued by injury last season, is an old
team with several key free agents this offseason.
"You've got guys who are in transition," Robbins said. "They don't
know where they stand. What a lot of guys want to know is where they
stand because we all want to work and rectify the situation."
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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