As coaching rumor season continues running full steam ahead, the Falcons have primarily been focused on who, exactly, will be added to next year's coaching staff. However, the team has also made efforts to keep a few of its preferred position coaches around for next season.
Offensive line guru Mike Tice was one of those coaches. Though a report surfaced on Wednesday indicating that the Falcons had blocked Oakland's request to interview Tice, Michael Silver of NFL.com now reports that the Raiders have hired Tice as their next O-line coach.
Nice score for the Raiders: Mike Tice coming over from Falcons to coach o line...
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) January 16, 2015
Ian Rapoport confirmed as much, noting Friday afternoon that the Falcons "initially" denied the Raiders permission to pursue Tice for the opening on their staff before (apparently) allowing him to seek other opportunities.
Update: NFL Network host Lindsay Rhodes is denying Rapoport's report that the Falcons fought to keep Tice on staff.
According to @MikeSilver, Mike Tice joining Raiders staff as OL coach. I'm told the Falcons did not deny interview request, as was reported
— Lindsay Rhodes (@lindsay_rhodes) January 16, 2015
Regardless of how the nitty gritty unfolded, the end result is the same: Tice will part ways with the Falcons after only one season. Although he was forced to deal with a slew of injuries to the O-line, the veteran coach still managed to cobble together a semi-functional unit that featured some promising young tackles in Jake Matthews and Ryan Schraeder.
In any case, the Falcons still would have had to grant Tice a release from that obligation since he was under contract, and so it looks like this move may have been a mutual one.
Your thoughts on Tice's departure?