Are the Raiders building a coaching staff to win now or is this another rebuild? (Photo: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE)

It’s February and per recent tradition that new coach smell is wafting through the East Bay. Dennis Allen’s arrival might be more celebrated if it wasn’t the third new head coach in as many years or if he was someone the football world was more familiar with. With the newness of this coach comes plenty of questions about his qualifications.

But that is natural for any head coach that doesn’t have a decade of NFL experience under his belt. Both Hue Jackson and Tom Cable were first time NFL head coaches so the experience factor is nothing new in Oakland. In fact, that has generally been the M.O. for Al Davis during his tenure. From John Madden to Jon Gruden, Davis loved to find the new talent and give them their chance at stardom.

However the difference with Allen is that he’s building a staff that doesn’t have a lot of experience as well.

Cable was surrounded by NFL coaching vets. Same went for Jackson. Both of them were the most successful coaches the Raiders have seen since Gruden. Now that’s not saying much. It’s a little like arguing for the prettiest pass Tim Tebow has ever thrown. None the less the experience factor has got to be considered as it relates to Allen.

While Steve Wisniewski, Kelly Skipper and most importantly Al Saunders are around to provide continuity, the rest of the group is largely new to the franchise and the talent they’ll be coaching. Also, a few of them are new to the NFL all together.

Jason Tarver isn’t new to the NFL but he arrives from Stanford with just one season as a co-defensive coordinator under his belt. To be sure Tarver might have the most important job of all. If Greg Knapp can stay down and not try to get too cute, Oakland’s offense should remain among the NFL’s most productive. About all Oakland needed last year was a defensive stop here and there to get into the playoffs. Tarver has got his work cutout for him.
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Hutson makes the jump to the NFL as Allen hires another collegiate coach. (Photo: Jim Cowsert-US PRESSWIRE)

Dennis Allen keeps it moving as FoxSports.com reports two more assistants have been added to the coaching staff.

Mark Hutson has been named assistant tights ends coach while Johnny Lynn will be an assistant defensive backs coach.

Without a doubt Lynn has a tall order to fill. Oakland’s secondary had been a strength for so many years until the loss of Nnamdi Asomugha made the secondary a primary concern. With the recent release of Stanford Routt an already thin unit has become almost non-existent as there are only a couple of rookie corners currently on the roster and an odd mix of safetys. Adding to the angst Lynn already inherits is that he was in charge of another secondary that failed to live up to expectations last season.

Lynn coached Asomugha as the defensive backs coach in Philadelphia. Many pegged the Eagles’ secondary as one of the best in the league but that was long before any actual football was played. Once the season began Philadelphia’s DBs were anything but the league’s best. As a result Lynn was relieved of his duties.

Once upon a time Lynn was a defensive coordinator for the New York Giants and has since made a few stops around the league coaching defensive backs.

Meanwhile Hutson is yet another collegiate hire as Allen continues to pluck coaches from the NCAA. Last years Hutson was Tulane’s offensive line coach and eventually became the interim head coach once former UCLA man Bob Toledo stepped down.