If you’re a Raiders fan and the name Mick Lombardi has a familiar ring to it, it should. Mick is the Raiders’ new offensive coordinator. And his dad, Michael, spent a decade with the Raiders from 1998-2007 as a senior personnel executive.
Mick is just 33 years old. This means he was ten years old when his dad joined the Raiders.
You could say Mick grew up a Raider. Or he could.
“I grew up a Raider,” the Raiders’ new OC said Friday. “My father and my mom, my brother, if you asked them what organization was most impactful to our time as a family they would probably say the Raider organization.”
His dad went on to become the GM of the Browns for two years and later become an assistant with the Patriots for a couple years. But no stop had a greater impact on Mick’s career in football than the ten years his dad spent with the Raiders, which coincided with his teenage years.
“My father has a vast experience in the personnel department,” Mick continued. “He has instilled in my a great love for football. My time in high school and stuff, I would go down to the Raiders facility and I would use old Beta tape and I would cut out tape and use the time codes and stuff like that and make up the POA tapes.”
Mick went on to attend Fordham University and upon graduation, became a coach’s assistant. From there he got his first NFL job as a scouting assistant with the Patriots.
He broke into coaching in 2013 as an assistant with the 49ers. Four years in San Francisco followed by two years with the Jets and he returned to New England, this time as an assistant coach under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
So, when it came time for McDaniels to get his second shot at being a head coach, he brought Mick over with him as his OC.
“Obviously my time with the Patriots was unbelievable. I can’t thank coach [Bill] Belichick, Mr [Robert] Kraft, and the organization enough for my time there. But obviously, when Josh had a chance to come out here and interview, I was happy for him. Still was focused on my job in New England. And obviously when the opportunity came and he wanted to interview me for this position here. Very excited. I know it was a long process to interview some great people. Then when the time came for me to come out here, I was very excited and very blessed to be part of this organization and Mr. Davis and everybody involved here.
“It’s a special time. Obviously it’s not the Bay Area, it’s Las Vegas, which is different. It was did in Oakland it would have been a really, really unique experience, but we’re excited to be here.”
