With McKenzie having spent almost 2 decades with the Packers, his former colleagues in Green Bay were originally considered to be the favorites. But instead he went with the 39-year-old Allen, coming off his first season in the NFL as a coordinator. Allen had his second interview with McKenzie yesterday at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
Allen will be the first new Raiders coach to come from the defensive side of the ball since late owner Al Davis hired linebackers coach John Madden before the 1969 season.
Allen will be Oakland's seventh coach since the 2003 season in his first head-coaching job at any level. The Raiders have not had a winning record since 2002.
In his first season as coordinator in Denver, Allen helped the Broncos improve from allowing a league-worst 29.4 points and 390.8 yards per game to ranking 20th in yards (357.8) and 24th in points (24.4) this season on the way to an AFC West title.
The Broncos increased their sack total from 23 to 41 and were tied for the sixth-most blitzes on pass plays in the league this season, according to STATS LLC.
Allen had served as New Orleans' secondary coach the previous five seasons and had also coached for Atlanta.
In other NFL news:
* Peyton Manning still intends to play football. In an interview that appeared yesterday in the Indianapolis Star, he also said he was no fan of the Colts' big offseason overhaul that included the firing of coach Jim Caldwell and other executives.
" . . . the building is absolutely empty except when you see coaches cleaning out their offices," Manning said. "I guess it's the reality of the football world, just not something I've had to deal with very often. But I'm in there every day, so I have to sit there and see it. Everybody's being evaluated and I'm no different. It's not the best environment.
"It's unfortunate because so many of them have been such a big part of so many big wins here, and this is so . . . sudden. Their keys didn't work the next day. There's no other way to do it? I don't know. That's hard to see, all these people leaving. And I may be behind them. Who knows?"
Manning would not say how close he is to being 100 percent 4 1/2 months after having his latest neck surgery. He said new general manager Ryan Grigson inferred the decision about paying Manning a $28 million bonus in March or letting him become a free agent would be made by team owner Jim Irsay.
Meanwhile, the Colts will interview San Francisco special-teams coach Brad Seely today for their head-coaching vacancy, according to Fox Sports. Other candidates include former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, former Minnesota coach Brad Childress, Baltimore defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, New Orleans offensive-line coach Aaron Kromer and Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray.
