Jon Gruden resigns as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders and suddenly plunges the team into chaos. Interim head coach Rich Bisaccia lacks experience. The scandal has probably left its mark on the players as well.

Munich – The Jon Gruden era has come to an inglorious end for the Las Vegas Raiders. The head coach drew the consequences from the email scandal surrounding him and resigned. A decision that was without alternative for all involved.

Nevertheless, this radical cut is likely to cause a lot of unrest – although the Raiders had started the new season promisingly with three wins from the first five games. Former assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia will serve as interim head coach for the time being and try to keep the team on track.

Carr and Gruden were close

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr also started the season strong. He ranks second NFL-wide in that statistic behind Tom Brady, averaging 321 passing yards per game. Gruden, who is said to have a knack for quarterbacks, seemed to mesh well with Carr.

Now the 30-year-old must not only adjust to a new head coach, but also come to terms with the emotional consequences of the Gruden quake. That goes for all his teammates. “Derek and Jon worked together every day. They were close,” Carr’s brother, ex-NFL quarterback David Carr, tells “NFL Network”.

The challenge now, he said, is to block out that turmoil and focus on the games ahead. “They all have to go to work tomorrow and focus on their game plan. It’s not easy. The words that were in those emails hurt. Also to the people within this team. Still, they just have to keep going,” Carr said.

David Carr: “Gruden had a say in everything “

Furthermore, Gruden not only served as the Raiders’ head coach, he also worked closely with general manager Mike Mayock and had a big influence on personnel decisions. “The man who was in charge of everything in this franchise is gone now. The whole structure is breaking away. Now others have to step into the breach,” David Carr explained.

Mayock will take care of the personnel decisions, Bisaccia of the fate on the field. The 61-year-old has worked in the NFL since 2002, mainly as a special teams coach. He also has that role with the Raiders, but he has also worked with running backs and as an assistant head coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under Gruden’s guidance.

He should have internalised the Gruden philosophy. Bisaccia also seems to be held in high regard by those in charge. He was given preference over defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who already had experience as head coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2013 to 2016.

Las Vegas Raiders: Possible Head Coaches

Because Bisaccia was only named interim and has no head coaching experience, the Raiders will almost certainly look at other coaching candidates – at the latest in the upcoming offseason.

No concrete interest is known yet, though candidates who came up empty last offseason are likely to be in the running again. Eric Bieniemy, coordinator of the explosive Chiefs offence, has been considered a top candidate for a head coaching position for years. With him, the Raiders would continue the offensive trend after Gruden.

If the Raiders would rather go for an offensive coach with more experience, Doug Pederson would be a candidate. Less than four years ago, he won the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Duelling with the Denver Broncos on Game 6

There would be a few candidates in college football as well. The most prominent name would be Jim Harbaugh, who coached the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014. To lure him out of his high-paying contract with the Michigan Wolverines, it would probably take a lucrative offer. Raiders owner Mark Davis, however, has never been known to be stingy.

But that decision is still a long way off for Derek Carr and Co. Next Sunday they have an important divisional duel with the Denver Broncos – Gruden drama or not.