The Oakland Raiders have hired Tony Sparano as assistant head coach/offensive line coach, the team announced Wednesday.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the news of the hiring earlier in the day.
Sparano was fired after only one year as offensive coordinator of the New York Jets. His offense ranked 30th in the NFL. Sparano reportedly was scheduled to interview with the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 14, and he talked with several teams about their offensive line coach positions.
Sparano was the Miami Dolphins' head coach for four years before being fired in 2011. The Dolphins went 29-32 in four years under Sparano and regressed from 11-5 in 2008 to 4-9 in 2011.
Sparano has big-time experience, whether it was successful or not. Having him on the Raiders' staff to direct the offensive line should bring valued knowledge to the room without the pressure of having him in a larger decision-making role.
The Raiders obviously are trying to improve a run offense that ranked 28th in the NFL last season despite having Darren McFadden, one of the most-talented running backs in the NFL. Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was fired after only one season, and his zone-blocking scheme leaves with him. Newly hired offensive coordinator Greg Olson will install a power running game that's familiar to Sparano.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
