Mark Davis has changed head coaches like people change their underwear in his time as the Las Vegas Raiders' owner. Davis has employed nine different head coaches in his 15 years at the helm, and this problem has been even worse since the franchise's relocation to Las Vegas.
The Raiders have had five different head coaches in the last five years, and they are headed for a sixth this offseason after firing Pete Carroll on Monday. Stability and turnover are pretty much an afterthought in Las Vegas, given the tumultuous state of the head coach position in recent years.
However, the building is not devoid of talent on either the roster or the coaching staff. Yes, Carroll's firing will spur another change, and a new coach is likely to bring his own assistants with him. But the Raiders should try to retain these coaches and not let them become collateral damage of the move.
Raiders must keep this assistants after Pete Carroll's firing
1. Rob Leonard, DL Coach
Leonard was the defensive line coach in Las Vegas in 2023 and 2024, but he stayed on with Carroll because he was also promoted to defensive run game coordinator. Yes, the Raiders' pass rush was lacking this season, until Week 18, but the run defense ranked fourth-best in yards per attempt.
Fans would also be hard-pressed to find a player in the locker room who didn't rave about Leonard's coaching and leadership skills. An argument could even be made to promote him to defensive coordinator, but at the very least, Mark Davis needs to keep him in the building in some capacity.
2. Luke Steckel, TE Coach
Steckel has ample experience coaching at the NFL level, and he really helped Brock Bowers blossom as a rookie in 2024. Michael Mayer has also looked great when given an opportunity, but unfortunately, those have been few and far between.
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Yes, Steckel has been tasked with coaching two incredibly talented young tight ends, and fans may scoff at what his potential role in that may be. But Ian Thomas has looked good this year as well, and Steckel is the common thread. He should be a priority for Davis and Co. to keep around.
3. Joe Philbin, Senior Offensive Assistant
Philbin was relegated to the shadows this year as Brennan Carroll took over the offensive line group. But Philbin had the big boys up front humming in the second half of the 2024 campaign in an interim role, and he should be allowed to stick around in some fashion.
Without Brennan Carroll, Philbin's voice in the offensive line room could loom larger, and his experience as a former head coach could be invaluable if the Raiders hire a first-timer this offseason. Philbin probably doesn't want to move again at his age, so keeping him in Las Vegas makes sense.