The Las Vegas Raiders officially hired a first-time head coach in Klint Kubiak on Monday. As exciting as a blank slate can be for a new leader, it is also important to have at least some kind of veteran voice in the building. A coach who can teach you how to coach.
Mike Macdonald hired Leslie Frazier in a similar capacity with the Seattle Seahawks, and Kubiak saw firsthand during the 2025 NFL season just how beneficial that can be. The Seahawks ended up winning the Super Bowl in Macdonald's second year, after all.
Kubiak is seemingly making a similar move, as the Raiders hired Mike McCoy to be their assistant head coach on Thursday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. McCoy has 23 years of NFL coaching experience, including multiple stints as a head coach.
Raiders hire veteran NFL coach Mike McCoy as assistant HC to Klint Kubiak
Most recently, McCoy served as the interim head coach for the Tennessee Titans this past season after the franchise fired Brian Callahan. Tennessee was 1-5 when McCoy took over, and he went 2-9 during his 11-game stint.
McCoy also served as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers from 2013-16, where he amassed a 27-37 record. He made one postseason appearance, winning a playoff game in his inaugural season as an NFL head coach.
Hiring McCoy is a smart move for Kubiak, as he needs a veteran coach in his corner who has been around the block a time or two. Some theorized that Kubiak could bring his father, Gary, to Las Vegas in that role. And he still may. But for now, McCoy seems to be filling that void.
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It doesn't hurt that McCoy has plenty of experience working with the Kubiak family. Not only did he spend the 1995 offseason trying to earn a spot in the Denver Broncos' quarterback room under Gary Kubiak, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, but McCoy also worked with Klint Kubiak.
Back in 2017, McCoy had a one-year stint as the Broncos' offensive coordinator, and Klint Kubiak worked under him as an offensive assistant. McCoy also coached against Gary Kubiak's Denver teams for several years when both were in the AFC West in the mid 2010s.
While this hire may not jump off the page as a great one, and McCoy may not have a major role in game-planning or be all too hands-on, it is critical to have a veteran voice like this for a first-time head coach in Klint Kubiak. Some, like NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, would even call it essential.