The Las Vegas Raiders certainly have an argument for wiping the slate entirely clean after a brutal 3-14 record during the 2025 NFL season. The roster should have significant turnover this offseason, and the new coaching staff under Klint Kubiak should as well.
In anticipation of Kubiak's hiring, the Raiders parted ways with 12 of their assistant coaches. This left only seven holdovers from the previous regime, with notable names including Rob Leonard, who was just promoted to DC, tight ends coach Luke Steckel and running backs coach Deland McCullough.
Although this was never announced, fans could piece together what was happening from who the team chose to keep listed on the coaching staff on their official website. But McCullough is no longer listed, so the Raiders have seemingly parted ways with him.
Raiders have apparently moved on from Deland McCullough
McCullough also interviewed for the running backs coach position with the Kansas City Chiefs, but they passed him over for former Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray. Now, this late in the process, it may be difficult for McCullough to land any meaningful NFL jobs.
During his lone season in Las Vegas, McCullough's rushing attack was largely stymied by an offensive line that couldn't find success under offensive line coach and running game coordinator Brennan Carroll. Fans can't help but think about how things would have been different in better circumstances.
Still, rookie Ashton Jeanty made a seamless transition to the NFL, at least in terms of what he could control. He finished with a hard-fought 975 receiving yards and grew immensely as a pass-catcher throughout the year. McCullough surely helped in that process, even if Jeanty is a natural talent.
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Veteran Raheem Mostert also played well in limited opportunities for the Raiders last year, so McCullough certainly wasn't the only person to blame for a league-worst rushing attack. But the NFL is a results-based business, and upon further evaluation, Kubiak and Co. decided to move on.
Who the next running backs coach in Las Vegas will be is a mystery. Kubiak has pried a few coaches from his old staff with the Seattle Seahawks, most recently Rick Dennison, a veteran coach who served as the running game coordinator in Seattle last year.
Dennison's exact job title with the Raiders is unknown, but he has no history as a position coach for running backs, so it's unlikely to be him. It'll likely be someone with whom Kubiak or offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko has a history. But it seemingly won't be McCullough.