"The Oakland Raiders will hire Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as head coach, according to league sources.

The two sides spent much of Tuesday night hammering out an agreement that will make Allen the first Raiders coach with a defensive background since John Madden, according to sources. The contract is agreed to in principle but has not been signed, the sources said.

Allen, a relative unknown to fans, was a finalist for the Rams' coaching job, according to sources, and would have been under strong consideration had Jeff Fisher not opted for St. Louis."