Raiders' coaching carousel begins

The Raiders lost offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and running backs coach Tom Rathman on Wednesday, learned that they are on the verge of losing defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and kicked off their own coach search by interviewing interim coach Tom Cable.

Knapp is headed to the Seattle Seahawks, as expected. He worked under new Seahawks coach Jim Mora with the Atlanta Falcons before he joined the Raiders in 2007 and agreed last year to reunite with Mora once he replaced recently retired coach Mike Holmgren.

Ryan's potential departure materialized when the Cleveland Browns hired Eric Mangini as their coach Wednesday a little more than a week after he was fired as New York Jets coach. Mangini reportedly is interested in hiring Ryan as his defensive coordinator.

Almost lost in the shuffle was the revelation, by a person familiar with the process, that Cable finally had an audience with managing general partner Al Davis about the prospect of keeping the job he held for the final 12 games last season.

Cable replaced the fired Lane Kiffin after four games last season and posted a 4-8 record. He more than once has expressed a strong desire to hold the job permanently.

Cable said his performance as the coach, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach spoke for itself and that he did everything he could to merit consideration for the job on a full-time basis.

Davis on Wednesday afforded Cable another opportunity to lay

out his case in advance of other candidates being interviewed.

Davis spoke with New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride by phone Saturday night. However, senior executive John Herrera said the 90-minute conversation wasn't an interview.

Davis can't speak with Gilbride or hire him until the Giants' season ends. Their first playoff game is this weekend. The Super Bowl is Feb. 1.

Ryan interviewed for the Raiders coaching vacancy in 2007 and has spent the past five seasons with the Raiders. Mangini made an overture to Ryan in 2006 but was rebuffed by the Raiders.

Once Ryan's contract expires Tuesday, the Raiders no longer will have the power to stop him and Mangini from reuniting. The two men were New England Patriots assistant coaches before Ryan joined the Raiders in 2004.

Rathman bolted for the 49ers to join coach Mike Singletary's staff as the running backs coach.

Knapp's contract also expires Tuesday, along with every other assistant coach except wide receivers coach James Lofton. However, the Raiders allowed Knapp to leave ahead of time.

Therefore, whomever Davis decides upon as his coach faces the prospect of hiring new coordinators.

In other news, Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh is "very close" to completing the three-year contract extension offered him in November, according to his agent, Jack Bechta, in an e-mail to MediaNews on Tuesday night. Harbaugh spent two seasons as a Raiders assistant and had been mentioned as a possible coaching candidate.

Also, Matt Capurro accepted a job with USC, a person close to Capurro said. He was the Raiders' assistant to the head coach.

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