The Raiders fired coach Dennis Allen on Monday night on the heels of his team's 0-4 start and no obvious signs of the progress he expected this season.
A Raiders spokesman confirmed via text message that Allen had been fired. The initial report of the firing came from Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, a person Allen is close to from his days with the New Orleans Saints and someone he confides in on a regular basis.
Tony Sparano was named the interim head coach. This was the ideal time for an in-season coaching change as the Raiders have a Week 5 bye, giving a Sparano the better part of two weeks to acclimate to his role. Sparano is the former Dolphins head coach and was the Raiders offensive line coach.