Cable is backed to take the Raiders forward

CALIFORNIA // Hours after the Oakland Raiders fired head coach Lane Kiffin, the team owner Al Davis named Tom Cable as replacement on an interim basis. Cable, who was in his second season as the Raiders' offensive line coach, is the 16th different coach in team history. Davis said Kiffin was fired on Tuesday "for cause" rather than performance, with the team 1-3 for this season. Cable's only head coaching experience was at the University of Idaho from 2001-03, where his teams averaged 424 yards of total offence.

"Collectively we will be better," Davis said. "It might not show right away, but we will win." Davis conceded Cable made an impression on him during an informal chat over his expiring contract at the end of this season. "The more I talked to him, the more I felt there were some things there that the Raiders needed," Davis added. Cable spent his entire coaching career at the collegiate level until accepting a job as the Atlanta Falcons' offensive line coach in 2006.

Cable said he was not bothered by having the interim tag attached to his name. "It means to me I'll be given a great responsibility," Cable said. "At the end of the day, this is a good football team. "We have good players on this team and we need to win. What we need to do is learn how to finish football games." * Agencies