It may have taken a while for the Las Vegas Raiders to get started with their offseason plans, but things are in full swing now.
Mark Davis announced the hirings of Pete Carroll and John Spytek as the franchise's next head coach and general manager on Monday morning in Las Vegas, and the rest of the staff is already coming together less than a week later.
Carroll has consulted Spytek in the process, and the two chose to retain defensive coordinator Patrick Graham on Wednesday. This gives this organization stability at defensive coordinator that they have not had since the early 2000s.
While many are still primarily focused on how the Raiders' new leadership tandem will address the offensive side of the ball, the duo has made sure to solidify things on defense first:
The #Raiders are hiring John Glenn as their linebackers coach, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 31, 2025
A reunion with Pete Carroll, who had Glenn as LBs coach for six seasons in Seattle. He was Washington’s assistant special teams coach last season.
John Glenn was a pivotal piece of the Seahawks' defense for over a decade under head coach Pete Carroll. He began his career as a coaching assistant and quality control man, but eventually took the reins as the linebackers coach for his last seven seasons.
He saw first-hand what it takes to win a Super Bowl and is obviously trusted by Carroll, so this hire makes sense. He also developed or worked extensively with elite linebackers like Bobby Wagner, KJ Wright, Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton.
Most recently, he was an assistant special teams coach for the Washington Commanders after he left the Seahawks once Carroll stepped down.
Glenn could take a player like Robert Spillane to new heights, or help bring in a good free agent like Wagner or Barton. Las Vegas is also desperate for more solid linebackers, and having Glenn work with young players can only help the defense.
Carroll also convinced another former colleague to leave Seattle in favor of Las Vegas:
Seahawks VP of coaching operations Matt Capurro is leaving the team after 15 years to reunite with Pete Carroll and rejoin the Raiders. Was with Carroll at USC in 2009 and in Seattle from '10-23, and worked for Al Davis in Oakland from '04-08.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 31, 2025
Valuable right-hand man to the HC.
Capurro has extensive experience both with Carroll and the Raiders' organization.
While the team has changed cities since he last worked in the Silver and Black, Capurro brings a wealth of knowledge about Carroll and the NFL in general.
According to Seahawks.com, Capurro was involved with various aspects of the football operation:
"(Capurro is) responsible for coordinating the team's day-to-day operations, including overseeing player and staff communications and managing the year-round football schedule, which includes the offseason program, OTA days, mini-camps and training camp."
Obviously, his allegiance is stronger to Carroll than it is to the Seahawks, so this move makes sense for both parties. One interesting aspect of his tenure with the Raiders is that he worked under former Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin, as well as Tom Cable and Norv Turner.
His ties to the Raiders and Carroll are extensive; this is a match made in heaven.