The Oakland Raiders were denied permission to interview Dallas Cowboys special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis for an assistant head coaching position, according to a source.

Cowboys assistant coaches are unavailable to speak with the media during the offseason.

Recently hired Raiders coach Dennis Allen worked with DeCamillis in Atlanta from 2002-to-2005 where a good relationship formed. Dan Reeves, DeCamillis' father-in-law, was the head coach with the Falcons at that time.

"Dan Reeves is another guy that, he brought me into this league and gave me my first opportunity to coach in the National Football League," Allen said at his introductory news conference with the Raiders regarding mentors of his. "So I’ve got some great resources that I can rely on and lean on in times when I hit a situation where I need some help."

DeCamillis has a goal of becoming a head coach and is inspired after seeing special teams coaches move into the head coaches role over the years in the NFL.

"I'd like to see it," Reeves said recently when asked about DeCamillis. "He did a great job for me in the years he coached for me. I think he's a great teacher. He understands talent and he understands players and hopefully he will get an opportunity."

The Cowboys have lost three assistant coaches since the end of the season. Offensive line coach Hudson Houck retired, secondary coach Dave Campo didn't receive a new contract, though he took a job as the defensive coordinator at Kansas and safeties coach Brett Maxie left to become the secondary coach with the Tennessee Titans.

The Cowboys gave Maxie a new contract, but the lure of running the entire secondary was a better opportunity.