Oakland Raiders head coach Dennis Allen has said that he "fully expects" to be in charge of the team at the start of next season.
Allen's future has come under scrutiny after the Raiders ended the current campaign with six consecutive defeats, leaving themselves 4-12 for the season - the same record he ended the last campaign with.
However, the 41-year-old believes that he "deserves" a chance to return for a third season in charge of the team in order to help them recover from 11 straight non-winning campaigns.
"That's a decision that's made over my head. I fully expect to be back. I fully believe that I deserve the opportunity to come back here and get a chance to go through the reconstruction phase. I want to be part of the rebuilding phase," Allen told The AP.
The Raiders ended the season bottom of the AFC West, with the other three teams from that division reaching the playoffs.
Barney Corkhill
