NFL: Dennis Allen sacked as Oakland Raiders coach after 10 straight defeats
Tuesday 30 September 2014 21:37, UK
The winless Oakland Raiders have responded to their disappointing start to the season by sacking coach Dennis Allen.
The Raiders suffered a fourth straight this season – and a 10th on the bounce – when they were routed 34-14 by the Miami Dolphins at Wembley.
Allen, a former defensive coordinator at the Denver Broncos, took over the reins in 2012 and was the first coaching appointment by owner Mark Davis following the death of his father and long-time Raiders owner Al Davis.
However the 42-year-old won just eight of his 36 games in charge, with nine of the defeats coming by more than 20 points, and he has now been relieved of his duties - with some reports suggesting he was informed of his sacking by telephone.
General manager Reggie McKenzie confirmed the news on Tuesday, telling the Raiders' website: "After thorough evaluation, we have determined to move in another direction.
"We appreciate Dennis Allen's dedication to the organisation and wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future."
McKenzie also announced that offensive line coach and former Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano was named as Allen's replacement on an interim basis.
"Tony Sparano has a strong presence in this organisation," said McKenzie. "His experience and leadership qualities will serve the team well in helping reach the goal of everyone here, which is to win football games."
The Raiders are now on their bye week and will return to action next week against the San Diego Chargers.
Allen's press conference following his side's 38-14 humbling in the showcase NFL international series game gave no hint of his impending exit.
He said: "We've got the bye week coming up. We've got a lot of things we've got to look at and a lot of self-evaluation we've got to go through to get this thing turned around."
Sparano led the Dophins to the AFC East title in his first season in Miami in 2008, but he failed to guide them to the play-offs in the three following seasons and parted company with the club in 2011.
Former Raiders coach Jon Gruden, now a respected analyst for ESPN, has been widely linked with a return to the post in the longer term.
