Raiders looking forward to new regime but respecting Rich Bisaccia

Bisaccia won over the Raiders locker room

As Brooks once alluded to, Bisaccia’s “father figure” approach served him well as the leaders in the Raiders’ locker rallied around him. That is a testament to his will but also to his ability to be empathetic. What the Raiders needed at that time was a man who could challenge them but also be compassionate at the same time.

That’s exactly what the coach did, and it showed, judging from some of the players’ responses to the news that Bisaccia was out.

"“It’s a crazy business we’re in. Obviously, we’re going to be attached to certain people. There are certain people that are special that you get to meet. So, yeah, Rich, no matter what, if he’s here or gone or whatever, doesn’t matter, I’m going to always love him.” – Maxx Crosby on his former coach"

There’s no doubt others feel the same way Crosby does. Bisaccia related to them on a different level than Gruden. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to one’s personal opinion. Many fans were vocal in their concern that a coach with that much comradery could end up losing a player’s respect.

That’s mostly due to the notion that you have to be a strict disciplinarian to be a successful head coach.

In the short span that he was in charge, his methods got off to a rocky start, but eventually, his team won out. In the end, though, it wasn’t enough. Owner Mark Davis sought to completely rebuild both the front office and the coaching staff. With that, Bisaccia’s services were no longer needed, apparently.