(KCAU) — After Jon Gruden resigned as head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders, his replacement not only brings many years of coaching experience but has ties to the Siouxland area.
Rich Bisaccia, who enters his 38th year coaching, was named interim head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders on October 11 following the resignation of Jon Gruden.
In the NFL, Bisaccia has served as an assistant coach for the Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won a ring with the team as a special teams coordinator in 2002. Before the NFL, Bisaccia coached in the college ranks, with his first coaching opportunity happening right in Siouxland.
According to his bio, Bisaccia’s first coaching job was at Wayne State in 1983, coaching defensive backs and special teams. From 1984 to 1987, Bisaccia coached the Wildcats on the offensive side of the ball, becoming the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach.
Bisaccia also earned his bachelor of science degree in physical education from Wayne State.
Before his coaching career took off, Bisaccia played defensive back at Yankton College, starting all four years, serving as team captain in 1982 and earning All-South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference honors in 1981 and 1982.
In 1983, Bisaccia was signed as a free agent with the now-defunct United State Football League’s Philadelphia Stars before coaching at Wayne State.
Bisaccia, a native of Yonkers, New York, has been with the Raiders since 2018, serving as an assistant head coach and special teams coordinator before being named interim head coach. He’ll make his head coaching debut on Sunday when the Raiders travel to Mile High City to take on the Denver Broncos.