Shell fills coaching staff

ALAMEDA, Calif. — New Oakland Raiders coach Art Shell announced his coaching staff Saturday, selecting as his offensive coordinator one of his former assistants who has not coached in the NFL in more than a decade.

Tom Walsh, who was fired by the Raiders along with Shell following the 1994 season, will try to energize an offense that scored just 51 points in the final five games of a 4-12 season in 2005.

Walsh was an assistant with the Raiders from 1982-94, coaching quarterbacks and receivers before becoming offensive coordinator under Shell.

Since being fired by the Raiders, Walsh was head coach for two seasons at Idaho State and worked as director of operations and head coach of a minor league franchise in Mobile, Ala. He has been out of football since 1999.

Walsh owns and operates the Hansen Guest Ranch in Swan Valley, Idaho. Reached at the ranch by telephone on Saturday, Walsh said he wouldn't talk about his new job until next week.

Shell hasn't coached since stepping down as offensive line assistant for the Atlanta Falcons after the 2000 season.

One of the biggest decisions for the offense could come as early as Sunday. The Raiders need to get below the salary cap of $94.5 million by then and could choose to cut quarterback Kerry Collins to get there.

Collins, who will count $12.9 million against the salary cap next season, has a 7-21 record in two years as Oakland's starter. He said at the end of the season he was willing to renegotiate his deal but would not play for "peanuts."

Shell said when he was hired that he believed Collins could be a "great" quarterback for the Raiders but the team still had to figure out what it would do with him.

The other coaches joining Shell's staff include Hall of Famer Jackie Slater, who will coach the offensive line along with Irv Eatman. The other new assistants are Jim McElwain (quarterbacks), Ted Daisher (special teams), Darryl Sims (assistant defensive line), Lorenzo Ward (assistant defensive backs and assistant special teams), Robert Ford (quality control, offense), and George Martinez (quality control, defense).