Raiders coach Dennis Allen said he believes "continuity" is a key to long-term success in the NFL, but that didn't stop him Monday from firing offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, special teams coordinator Steve Hoffman, offensive line coach Frank Pollack and linebackers coach Johnny Holland.
"We're looking for the results and we have to have the results," Allen said. "This is a win-now business, no matter how much patience we're looking for. This is a win-now business and that's what we're paid to do, and we have to do that.
"Continuity, I believe, is important, but we have to be able to put in a new offense, special teams schemes, and we've got to be able to do that in a timely manner."
Finding a replacement for Knapp will the top job for the Raiders. Allen has been a big proponent of the zone blocking scheme that Knapp installed, but he said he's not "tied" to any offensive system.
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"I believe the zone scheme is a productive running scheme," Allen said. "Obviously we didn't have the success that we needed to have, and there were a lot of factors that contributed into that.
"I'm not tied to a specific system. I'm tied to trying to find out what our players can do really well and try to put them in those positions to give them a chance to have success. I'm looking for production and execution, and I think that's where we have to be better. ... We have to have some rhythm and some explosiveness in our offense."
Allen said he doesn't have a time frame for hiring a new offensive coordinator.
"I want to make sure we get the right guy, and however long that takes for us to get the right guy, that's how long that that takes," Allen said. "We've got to identify the potential candidates. We'll start with that process and we'll try to identify the guys that we think are best for this job. We'll try to start the process as soon as we can and we'll go until we get the right guy."
Allen survived Black Monday, but seven NFL coaches have already been fired. So there will undoubtedly be a large pool of potential coordinator candidates available among those coaches and members of their staffs. Allen said former Raiders offensive Al Saunders, who served as a senior offensive assistant, is a potential candidate, too.
"I think we're going to look at all the possible options," Allen said.
Allen said he doesn't "anticipate" firing any other assistants. That means that rookie defensive coordinator Jason Tarver and all of his assistants, other than Holland, will likely return for a second season.
"I was pleased with where Jason was," Allen said. "I think J.T. does a good job for us. I think he's a very smart football coach. I think he, like all of us, he's the first time in that position, and so we all go through a learning curve in that position.
"And I think that's something we've looked at throughout this organization, guys that are the first time doing that particular job, and we'll grow from it. I said this from the very beginning, I'm not in this for a one-year deal. I'm in this long-term. I'm in this to build this thing the right way. And I'm excited looking forward to the future and where this organization is going to go."
Barring any contract extensions, the Raiders have 17 players who will become unrestricted free agents in March. Allen said he and general manager Reggie McKenzie have already targeted potential UFAs they want to bring back next season.
"We've identified those guys that we're trying to get back, and we're in the process," Allen said. "How long that process takes, at the end of the day, Reggie will handle that part of it. But we've met a lot over the last few weeks and where we're going as an organization and what we're looking to do. I think we've got a clear idea of what we're trying to get done."
Rolando McClain, who was suspended two games for conduct detrimental to the team, and then was inactive for the final three games.
"I think we're going to have to let that play out as the offseason goes along," Allen said. "Right now he's part of this football team. There's been no move made there, and we'll see how the offseason goes."
Follow Raiders reporter Eric Gilmore on Twitter @CBSRaiders.