LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- This was it for Art Shell. No more of having his name being brought up for every NFL head-coaching job that came open, only to fail in landing one.


Art Shell returns to Oakland after posting a 56-41 mark his first time around. (Getty Images)
Enough was enough.
"There comes a time when you have to shut it off, let it go, and say it's not going to happen," Shell said.
Thirteen years after he was fired by the Oakland Raiders, and after years spent hoping for another chance, it has happened for Shell. The Raiders brought him back in February as their head coach with the idea he would bring the Raiders Mystique back, something that is sorely needed.
As he sat surrounded by reporters at the AFC coaches breakfast at the NFL Winter Meetings, Shell said he is thrilled to be back coaching again. You can see it in his smile. He seems happy and content.
"We haven't started playing games yet," he said.
Getting him back is the right thing for the Raiders. Shell deserves another chance.
So why in the heck did it take so long? Was it because he was the first black coach of the modern era and people assumed he had failed? Was it because some considered him nothing more a puppet for Davis when he was the coach? What took so long?
"I don't know," Shell said. "I got to the point where I kept telling people they couldn't ask me that. Ask the people doing the hiring."
In the 13 years since he was let go, Shell worked as an assistant before landing a job with the league office. Coaching was still in his blood, but he was almost resigned to the fact it wouldn't happen again. He had a handful of interviews over the years, including with Davis in 1998, but he instead hired Jon Gruden.
"There's some frustration, but you can't get involved in that because it will drive you crazy," Shell said. "So you have to get involved in other things, which I did. I moved on as an assistant coach and I moved on to the NFL office. You can't let those things deter you, so you move on another mound of cheese to choose from. You can't get angry. What are you going to do? Fight somebody? Hit somebody? You just have to move on."
Even this job didn't look good. The Raiders courted Louisville coach Bob Petrino, Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and others, but none would bite. That's when Davis turned to Shell.
He was coming home, bringing with him the old Raiders ways, the commitment to excellence. Players will know the storied history of this team, Shell said.