The news of the hire was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter on Twitter:
The Oakland Raiders have hired former Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano as their assistant head coach/offensive line.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 23, 2013 Sparano was recently fired as offensive coordinator of the New York Jets. He ran an offense that featured the shuffling of quarterbacks Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow and Greg McElroy and was ultimately unsuccessful.
New York's offense finished the season ranked No. 28 in the league in points scored and No. 30 in yardage per game.
Prior to this, Sparano was head coach of the Miami Dolphins for four years, accumulating a 29-32 record with one playoff appearance.
The new position with the Raiders will allow him to get back to his roots. Sparano was the offensive line coach with the Dallas Cowboys for part of his five years with the team. He was also responsible for leading the run game as well as calling plays at times.
He has been brought in to help improve a Raiders offense that ranked No. 26 in the league in points at 18.1 per game.
Oakland's offensive line did have some bright spots last season. Only four NFL teams allowed fewer than the team's 27 sacks during the year. Unfortunately, the rushing attack suffered as the squad averaged only 3.8 yards per carry.
The Raiders also tied for last in the league in rushing touchdowns.
This team needs a boost after finishing the year with a 4-12 record. Hopefully, Sparano is the person that can make the changes necessary to win.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
