With just a handful of bowl games left to play, we're inching closer toward college football's postseason showcases.
None are larger than the Reese's Senior Bowl, which announced Monday the San Francisco 49ers' and Oakland Raiders' coaching staffs have been selected to coach each of the two participating teams in late January.
We thought we saw the last Battle of the Bay during the regular season when the Raiders and Niners met on Thursday Night Football for the final time before the Silver and Black move southeast to Las Vegas. But instead, we'll get another meeting, minus their players.
"The Reese's Senior Bowl is excited to have the two Bay Area teams coaching in our 70th annual game," Reese's Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said in a press release. "The Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers are both iconic franchises. With eight Super Bowl victories between them, the Raiders and Niners are historic brands of the league and the Senior Bowl is honored to have them at our game this year."
The 49ers staff, led by head coach Kyle Shanahan, will coach the South team. San Francisco's staff last coached in the game three straight times from 2006-2008 when Mike Nolan was the team's head coach.
Jon Gruden and the Raiders staff will coach the North team. Gruden served in the same role in 1999 when Oakland's staff coached one of the teams.
"The Oakland Raiders are excited to coach in the premier all-star game in the land," Gruden said. "The opportunity to interact with the Senior Bowl rosters and help these great young men achieve their dreams has the entire Raider staff galvanized. We could not be more pumped to get to Mobile."
The Senior Bowl features the nation's top upperclassmen who are aiming for one more chance to show their skills to NFL talent evaluators. The week of practice is broadcast live on NFL Network starting Jan. 21 and the game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 26 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, and is shown exclusively on NFL Network.
