Raiders Interview Dallas Assistant : Pro football: Coaching situation unsettled as Al Davis talks with Butch Davis, hires Joe Bugel, ponders Art Shell.

Dallas Cowboy defensive coordinator Butch Davis has been interviewed for the Raider head coaching job by owner Al Davis, The Times has learned.

Despite the presence of Butch Davis at the Raiders’ El Segundo headquarters Thursday, Al Davis has not made a final decision on the fate of Coach Art Shell, according to sources.

Al Davis could wind up offering Butch Davis an assistant’s job. But it seems unlikely the Cowboy coach would settle for that since he reportedly has had feelers from the Philadelphia Eagles and the University of Miami about their respective head coaching jobs.

The Raiders did make one coaching hire Thursday, naming Joe Bugel senior assistant and offensive line coach. Bugel is the former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and has been a coach for three decades.

Al Davis has been agonizing over Shell’s fate since the final minutes of the season-ending 19-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that left the Raiders, considered among the top teams in the conference in terms of talent, out of the playoffs at 9-7.

In recent weeks, Davis told at least one source that he was going to fire Shell. There was a feeling within the organization a week ago, according to another source, that Shell was “gone.” There was one report that he actually had been fired, but that Davis had backed down and agreed to mull it over.

In the meantime, Davis kept talking to Bugel, but wouldn’t specify Bugel’s position should he join the Raiders.

Davis is known to have a deep affection for Shell, who has been in the organization for 27 years, first as a Hall of Fame offensive lineman and then as an assistant coach before assuming the head coaching job early in the 1989 season.

At the very least, Shell would be given a front-office position. But he desperately wants another chance as coach.

“I love this job,” he said after the loss to the Chiefs.

Some see the hiring of Bugel as a compromise should Al Davis not fire Shell now.

The biggest negative about Butch Davis is that he is an outsider. Al Davis does not like hiring coaches unfamiliar with the Raider system. His experience with Mike Shanahan, hired away from the Denver Broncos to be head coach, soured Davis on going that route again.

This way Bugel, 54, would get to learn the Raider way. And, if the team continues to falter, he would be properly schooled should he be asked to assume command.

“I need to get back on the grass and coach,” said Bugel, “and I hope to help them win a Super Bowl.”

Asked if Shell would stay as head coach, Bugel said, “I hope so. I have a lot of respect for Art Shell. He’s been a Raider for a long time.”

Bugel was coach of the Cardinals for four years, with a 20-44 record. His greatest success came as an assistant with the Washington Redskins under Joe Gibbs. As offensive line coach there, Bugel was in charge of the group that became known as the Hogs. During Bugel’s nine years in Washington, the Redskins went to three Super Bowls, winning two of them.

The last week has been one of upheaval for the Raider coaching staff. Steve Ortmayer, director of football operations and the special teams coach, left to go to the Rams. Three defensive coaches--Ray Hamilton, Jack Stanton and Odis McKinney--were fired.

Additional decisions must be made on the duties of Mike White and Bill Meyers, both of whom coached the offensive line. The Raiders will not have three offensive line coaches.

Finally, there is offensive coordinator Tom Walsh, who clashed with quarterback Jeff Hostetler last season. Will he continue to call the plays?

“I don’t know,” said Bugel, “who is going to call the plays.”