The Oakland Raiders took their time to find a new head coach, but they finally found their man. Per reports, the team will name former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio their new head coach on Wednesday, replacing fired head coach Dennis Allen and interim coach Tony Sparano.

No Sparano

Tony Sparano was desperate to become Oakland’s permanent head coach after doing a solid job as the team’s in-season replacement (three wins), but ultimately the team wanted more proven experience. Del Rio has more overall experience than Sparano and symbolizes a completely fresh start, from top to bottom.

Split Decision

Possibly the biggest thing about the Del Rio hire is that owner Mark Davis stepped in and made the decision himself, effectively ignoring GM Reggie McKenzie’s desire to give Tony Sparano another shot. That could easily be yet another sign of McKenzie’s poor judgment, and could play a hand in his future this summer, or after next season.

Del Rio’s Resume

Del Rio may not have been everyone’s first choice to take over the reigns in Oakland, but the Raiders certainly could have done much worse. The 51-year old Del Rio recently guided the Denver Broncos’ defense to a third place finish on the year, as well as second against the pass. His success in Denver and his experience with nine years as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars made him a solid candidate and one the Raiders ultimately couldn’t pass on.

Del Rio didn’t always have great seasons in Jacksonville, but his Jaguars did finish 8-8 or better five times, including two seasons with at least 11 wins and a trip to the playoffs.

Playoff Return?

The biggest question for a Raiders team that has been absent from the playoff picture since 2002 is whether or not Del Rio is the guy that can get them back. Owner Mark Davis clearly has to believe that’s the case, while there’s no doubt Del Rio has a grasp on how to build a very effective defense. His defenses wilted away in Jacksonville, but his struggles with the Jaguars mostly hung on inconsistent offenses. With Derek Carr impressing as a rookie in 2014, it’s arguable that Del Rio already has a franchise passer on his roster and may just need to add some weapons to round out the offense. That could allow him to turn his focus mostly to building up an already improving Oakland defense even more. While success probably won’t come right away in 2014 (especially in a tough AFC West), hiring Del Rio arguably has the Raiders headed in the right direction.