The Las Vegas Raiders didn't take any shortcuts during this year's hiring cycle. Landing on head coach Klint Kubiak wasn't easy, nor was it quick, but John Spytek and the front office outlasted every other team with a vacancy and ended up hiring who many believed was the belle of the ball.
It has been discussed at length that Kubiak is the son of a Super Bowl-winning head coach that he is an offshoot of one of the NFL's most prominent coaching trees. But he is also revered by both his players and his colleagues, which mattered a great deal to the Raiders' hiring committee.
His former employer, Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, had great things to say about him before the Super Bowl, as did his current and former players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Christian McCaffrey. Now, new Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski is praising Las Vegas' hire.
Kevin Stefanski has high praise for Las Vegas Raiders HC Klint Kubiak
Stefanski has known Kubiak for quite some time, as the two crossed paths at two separate junctures while working with the Minnesota Vikings. Down at the NFL Annual League Meeting, the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Adam Hill spoke with Stefanski and asked him about his former coworker.
"For us as coaches, what we are striving for is authenticity and being genuine. I learned a long time ago that you just have to be yourself every single day, and you can't be someone different. You can't try to be this coach or that coach. You just try to be who you are, and I think players respond to that," Stefanski explained. "Klint is a great example of that. He's the same guy every single day, and he's going to grind and do everything in his power to get that team ready to go."
Now, it seems like Kubiak is already showing that side of himself in Las Vegas, as young players like Jackson Powers-Johnson and Jack Bech both recently explained why they're already excited to play under the Raiders' new head coach.
But Stefanski's words hold significant weight, as he is a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year. And it's not like he is just going solely based on what he's heard; Stefanski has spent three total seasons working alongside Kubiak in various capacities and at different points in their respective careers.
Before Kubiak and his staff can install their new scheme, they need to make an impact on the players in the locker room and let them know that they care. Building trust is priority No. 1 for the new regime, which is something that the Silver and Black haven't had for a long, long time.
If Kubiak can live up to Stefanski's billing, which is that he'll be the same guy every day and will get the team to rally around him, then Raider Nation should be thrilled. Kubiak is already off to a hot start, and when he turns things around in Las Vegas, it seems like hardly anyone will be surprised.
Add Stefanski to that list.