Las Vegas Raiders fans are already loving the Klint Kubiak experience. The no-nonsense, film-driven new head coach isn't using his skins on the wall as proof of his competence nor blowing smoke up the fanbase's backside. He is simply doing the work and wants the results to speak for themselves.
That doesn't mean the hype around him has been non-existent, however. In fact, it has been quite the opposite. It felt like everyone who had come in contact with him throughout his NFL career came out of the woodwork after the Raiders hired him to praise the kind of man, leader and coach that he is.
While assistants following him to Las Vegas from Seattle or reuniting with him speak volumes, the fact that a player like Kirk Cousins wanted to play for him again is another great indicator of who the Raiders have at the helm. And Cousins just went into detail about what makes Kubiak so special.
Kirk Cousins tells Las Vegas Raiders fans what to expect with HC Klint Kubiak
In an exclusive interview with Amber Theoharis for Raiders.com, Cousins talked about a lot, from what led him to Las Vegas, to the trio of young offensive players that he is excited to play with, to working alongside Maxx Crosby. But he also gave Raider Nation a taste of what to expect from Kubiak.
"A big reason why I'm sitting in this chair, and I'm now a Raider, is because of Klint Kubiak. So, I can talk about him all I want, but my actions really show what I think of him by being here," Cousins said. "Great football mind, extremely hardworking. There's a humility there that I deeply respect. He's a great question asker. He wants to do what the quarterback's comfortable with. He even made mention in our meeting today how Sam Darnold, last year in Seattle, provided a lot of great insight to things that he was comfortable with that Klint then implemented to the team success. And so his ability to really listen well but also have an identity and have a plan and stay organized. There's just a lot of traits there that a coach needs to have that Klint has in spades. And I think the fans will see that as we get going this year."
It's hard not to get excited about a coach like that. With Pete Carroll, fans were hoping that he could rekindle the past. With Antonio Pierce, fans were anticipating that he would grow on the job. But with Kubiak, all one has to do is look at his most recent game as proof of what he can accomplish.
Listening to trusted voices talk about what Kubiak is capable of doesn't hurt, either. Cousins also spoke to Raiders.com's Levi Edwards about his relationship with Kubiak, which dates back to their three years that they spent together with the Minnesota Vikings from 2019 to 2021.
"A lot of conversations and meetings to learn how he sees football, and he was able to learn how I see it," Cousins said. "He called plays for me in 2021, which I look back now and feel like that was objectively probably the best season I ever had. And I think a lot of that has to do with Klint and his ability to put together strong game plans and call games well. I think he showed that this past season in Seattle and the way he called games throughout the playoffs and on the big stage in the Super Bowl."
Raider Nation now has character witnesses and first-hand accounts of Kubiak's skill set and leadership from former players and coaches, as well as current players and coaches. Not much more can be said about Kubiak before he has the chance to go out there and prove it himself.
Fortunately, it doesn't sound like Kubiak will be doing it alone, either. The building in Las Vegas is finally connected and seeing eye-to-eye, as Cousins also mentioned during his interview with Edwards.
"I can tell in just being here at the facility today that, from ownership to management, the resources are being put in place here to give us all we need to win," Cousins said. "And now, us as players have got to go do it, but it starts there."
What a great place to start.