Raiders tackle the unknown without Gruden

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Without their charismatic coach, the Oakland Raiders and their fans are looking for a new way to achieve owner Al Davis' vision of greatness.

Jon Gruden, who came to symbolize the Raiders as much as any of his players, left Oakland on Monday to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The move came as a surprise in the San Francisco Bay Area, where it was believed that the region's other NFL coach, the 49ers' Steve Mariucci, was headed to Tampa Bay.

But between late Sunday night and early Monday morning, the Raiders and Buccaneers struck a deal.

Davis, who has long boasted of the "Greatness of the Raiders," admitted in a rare news conference Monday that it all happened so fast that he hasn't really thought about the team's future without Gruden.

"We want to win. We want to do what's right," Davis said. "We want to do what's going to be great for the fans, the coaches and the players."

Any successor will have some considerable shoes to fill.

"It's like losing the CEO of a Fortune 500 company," said Ricky Ricardo, a longtime fan and owner of Ricky's sports bar in San Leandro, a popular hangout for the Raiders' faithful.

"I don't think guys like Jon Gruden come along very often," he said.

One of the possible candidates for the job is Dennis Green, fired by the Minnesota Vikings in January. The former Stanford coach is close to Davis.

"He's a friend, and he's a very outstanding coach," Davis said. "But to read anything into that would be unfair, and for me to lead you that way would be very unfair."

Green's agent, Ray Anderson, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment, but did acknowledge in published reports that he expects to talk to the Raiders.

Another possible successor is Bill Callahan, the Raiders' offensive coordinator who has worked with Gruden for the past seven years and shares his philosophy and work habits.

Other names bandied about Tuesday were: Art Shell, who coached the Raiders from 1989-94; Bill Parcells, who took the Giants and the Patriots to the Super Bowl; and even Mariucci, who has two years left on his contract with the 49ers.

Davis said he would like to hire a replacement in 10 days.

"I want to win," he said, "and what I'm looking for is someone who can help us win."

For his part, Gruden was scheduled to be introduced as the Buccaneers' coach on Wednesday. He reportedly commanded a five-year deal worth $17.5 million.

Bears coaches reach deals

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Five members of the Bears coaching staff got new contracts, but head coach Dick Jauron was not one of them.

Defensive backs coach Vance Bedford, defensive quality coach Chuck Bullough, offensive quality coach Charlie Coiner, running backs coach Earle Mosley and offensive line coach Bob Wylie signed three-year contracts. Terms were not disclosed.

There was no word on talks for Jauron. The Bears announced Christmas Eve that they would begin working on a contract extension for Jauron, who was voted the coach of the year after Chicago's surprising 13-4 season, which ended with a first-round playoff loss to the Eagles.

-- From wire services