Josh McDaniels officially is a Las Vegas Raider.
The now-former New England Patriots offensive coordinator was introduced Monday as the Raiders’ new head coach. The announcement came during a joint news conference with team owner Mark Davis and newly hired general manager Dave Ziegler.
McDaniels spent 18 of the last 21 seasons with the Patriots, serving as New England’s offensive coordinator since 2013. He was part of all six of the Patriots’ Super Bowl championship teams.
“I’ve been patient, selective, maybe to a fault sometimes,” McDaniels told reporters. “… It was going to take a special place for me to leave where I was, and I found that here in Las Vegas.”
Ziegler, whose hiring was announced Sunday, also comes to Las Vegas from New England. He had been with the Patriots organization since 2013, most recently serving as the team’s director of player personnel.
McDaniels and Ziegler came to Las Vegas as a package deal. The two have a long-standing relationship that dates back to their time as teammates at John Carroll University in the late 1990s. McDaniels also hired Ziegler for his first NFL job during his short-lived tenure as Denver Broncos head coach (2009 to 2010).
During their introductory presser, Ziegler said he and McDaniels will collaborate on roster decisions, but Ziegler will have the final say.
The Patriots wished McDaniels and Ziegler farewell on social media.
The Patriots have not announced how they plan to replace McDaniels or Ziegler. Candidates for those roles include Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and Patriots scouting consultant Eliot Wolf, respectively.
