The Las Vegas Raiders have found their next coach. After conducting 22 interviews with 15 unique candidates, the franchise hired Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak after Super Bowl LX.
The move represents a complete turnaround from last offseason, when Las Vegas struck out on Ben Johnson, their top candidate. The Raiders landed their top target during this year's hiring cycle, likely due to the fact that they hold the No. 1 pick, which they will presumably use on Fernando Mendoza.
The future of the organization will hinge on the success of the head coach and quarterback duo and how well they are able to develop in their respective roles. Former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who spent the 2024 season with Kubiak, talked about Kubiak's approach, which should bring optimism to Las Vegas.
Derek Carr's comments on Klint Kubiak bode well for the Raiders' future
Kubiak has drawn plenty of praise for his work with the Seahawks, as the offense has completely turned things around under his leadership. Raider Nation is certainly hopeful that he can have that same effect on a unit that finished last in both scoring and total yards in 2025.
During a recent episode of his Home Grown podcast, Carr shared how his former offensive coordinator approaches the game similarly to Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, which should lead to results in Las Vegas.
“The most important part of it is some of these coaches get jobs because they're with good coaches or they're this or that and then they just steal things that they've liked but it's like where does it start? And, so, for them, it starts in the outside zone. Everything else is built off of that. You look at the LA Rams, what's it built off right now? It's built off duo. Everything is off duo. The blocks, the play actions, the nakeds, the screens. Everything's off duo. Boom, NFC Championship. Kyle Shanahan, outside zone and a run game, boots, play actions, seams. These guys that have systems that's like this is who we are, this is what we believe in, and we build everything off this one play, those are the guys I think end up having the most success.”
Of course, McVay and Shanahan are viewed as two of the most successful offensive minds in the modern NFL. Both coaches have their own system, which they have stuck by, yielding tremendous results.
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Kubiak, naturally, is far less proven than either coach, as his opportunity with the Raiders will be his first head coaching gig. Still, the notion that he is consistent in his approach should lead to success in the role.
In their first year in Kubiak's offense, Seattle has taken a major step forward, which is part of the reason why they are in the Super Bowl. They ranked 18th in scoring offense, 14th in total yards, 28th in rushing yards, and 11th in rushing touchdowns in Ryan Grubb's offense last season.
After Kubiak joined the franchise and implemented his outside zone scheme, those rankings have skyrocketed to third, eighth, tenth, and ninth, respectively. While Sam Darnold has received much of the credit, the turnaround has largely been due to the scheme of the offensive coordinator.
Additionally, players such as Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers should see their production reach an even higher level under Kubiak. After plenty of turnover, Las Vegas' sixth head coach in as many seasons may finally bring some stability to the role.