Dennis Allen, Oakland Raiders
Weird things take place in the Black Hole. How else can you explain Allen remaining on the Raiders’ sidelines while boasting a career coaching record of 8-24? Consecutive 4-12 seasons typically don’t help one’s resume, but Oakland has remained consistent in its support of Allen.
Perhaps recognizing he’s on the hot seat, Allen spent the offseason collecting a slew of veteran talent (Justin Tuck, Matt Schaub and Maurice Jones-Drew) and coveted rookies (Derek Carr). After his offense finished 25th in passing yards in 2013, he’ll bank on Schaub (or, in case of injury, Carr) improving that statistic to crank out a few more wins. Allen’s background is defense, so it’ll be interesting to see how his new-look offense unfolds.
The Raiders are notorious for its handling of coaches, hiring and firing them like it’s going out of style. Allen likely has enough slack to get through the entire 2014 campaign, but his future beyond that remains tenuous at best.