The Las Vegas Raiders, in honor of the city that they call home, are making some gambles early in the 2026 NFL offseason. Not only did they hire a first-time head coach in Klint Kubiak, who turned 39 on Tuesday, but OC Andrew Janocko, 37, and DC Rob Leonard, 38, are also rookies in their new jobs.
Following a season with 74-year-old Pete Carroll at the helm and 62-year-old Chip Kelly and 47-year-old Patrick Graham calling offensive and defensive plays, respectively, an injection of youth is the natural course, and a welcome decision by Raider Nation.
Equipping those coaches with a great supporting staff is critical, and Las Vegas just brought back a longtime Silver and Black coach to lead the defensive line: Travis Smith. Not only is Smith still not old, as he's around 40, but there also may not be a coach who knows his way around the Raiders more.
Raiders hire back Travis Smith as defensive line coach
Smith could be the perfect blend of youth and franchise-specific experience, as he began his NFL coaching career with the Silver and Black back in Oakland in 2012. He saw some dark days under Dennis Allen and ultimately interim Tony Sparano, but Smith just kept sticking around.
He was actually promoted to defensive quality control coach in 2015 under Jack Del Rio, and by the 2017 season, Smith was the outside linebackers coach. Jon Gruden came in and made him the DQC for one year again, but then he was promoted to an assistant defensive line coach position.
After the 2021 playoff run, the Raiders cleaned house and brought in Josh McDaniels, so Smith finally left for a promotion with the Chicago Bears. He served as the defensive line coach under Matt Eberflus for three seasons before that entire staff was wiped following the 2024 campaign.
Last year, he was the defensive run game coordinator with the Tennessee Titans under fellow former Raiders assistant Brian Callahan. Now, after already spending a decade in the Silver and Black under five different leaders, Smith is back in a prominent role under Kubiak and Leonard. Time is a flat circle.
Not only does Smith already have three years of prior experience working with Maxx Crosby, but he also worked with Khalil Mack for several years and was his outside linebackers coach in 2017. Smith also helped Montez Sweat reach his first Pro Bowl while in Chicago.
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Although Smith won't necessarily be inheriting the most talented defensive line in Las Vegas, he does have Crosby, in the meantime, at least, a solid veteran in Adam Butler and some promising young pieces like Tonka Hemingway, Jonah Laulu and J.J. Pegues.
If he could just help Tyree Wilson take a step in his development and creep closer to the player that fans thought he would be, Smith may never have to buy a meal again in Oakland, Los Angeles or Las Vegas. A strong defensive line class in April should also mean Smith has some new young pieces.
Leonard was great as the Raiders' defensive line coach over the last three years, so Smith does have some relatively large shoes to fill. That said, Leonard is still around to help out, even if he has more responsibilities now, and his impact on the group already in Las Vegas won't just go away overnight.
Smith's Raiders tenure began two years before Khalil Mack was drafted. He coached Sio Moore when Moore was a rookie! Carson Palmer and Terrelle Pryor were under center in those days. Smith was also around for both playoff runs in 2016 and 2021.
With 14 years of NFL coaching experience under his belt and his strong ties to Mark Davis and the Raiders, Smith was a no-brainer hire. Let's just hope that the defensive line takes another step under his tutelage and he can make life easier on first-time defensive coordinator Rob Leonard.