Football

Farewell, Rich Bisaccia. Derek Carr shares what exiting interim coach meant to Raiders

Rich Bisaccia talks with quarterback Derek Carr during a timeout during the second half of an NFL game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Las Vegas.
Rich Bisaccia talks with quarterback Derek Carr during a timeout during the second half of an NFL game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Las Vegas. AP

Derek Carr and Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby showed their appreciation on Sunday to coach Rich Bisaccia, who guided the Las Vegas Raiders to a playoff appearance this past season.

Both went to Twitter and shared what Bisaccia meant to them and the team after taking over as interim coach and completing a 10-7 regular season that led to a postseason berth and a wild-card-round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

“He means so much to us as a team. I love this man so much and he lead us to 10 wins and a playoff berth. Phenomenal coach and even better leader! Will always be a special relationship for me! Thank you Coach!” Carr wrote on Twitter.

Josh McDaniels was reportedly hired to be the next Raiders head coach on Sunday, beating out a field of candidates that included Bisaccia.

The deal hasn’t been made official, presumably to avoid any upstaging of the conference championships being decided on Sunday. The Raiders did announce Dave Ziegler as the next general manager before the AFC game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Bengals.

Bisaccia did get an interview for the head coaching job that eventually went to McDaniels. The Chicago Bears, in the event he did not get the permanent job with the Raiders, reportedly have expressed interest in Bisaccia as their special teams coordinator.

He’ll leave as a popular figure among the players, particularly some of the team’s biggest stars.

Crosby in his tweet thanked Bisaccia for holding the team together after the Raiders went through turmoil on an off the field during the season.

“Can’t Tell You How Much This Man Has Impacted Not Only Myself But Everyone In This Building… I Love You Like A Brother Coach Rich,” Crosby wrote.

Free agent defensive tackle Solomon Thomas and defensive back Roderic Teamer chimed in.

Anthony Galaviz
The Fresno Bee
Anthony Galaviz writes about sports for The Fresno Bee. He covers the Las Vegas Raiders, high schools, boxing, MMA and junior colleges. He’s been with The Bee since 1997 and attended Fresno City College before graduating from Fresno State with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology. Support my work with a digital subscription
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