The Las Vegas Raiders need to replace Pete Carroll this offseason. Clarity on who exactly will take on that task should happen soon, but a flurry of interview requests and dot connecting by the national media and the fan base will occur before then. It's John Spytek and Tom Brady's show now.
Hiring a head coach, however, is just one piece of the puzzle. They need to have a strong coaching staff in place as well, namely two stout coordinators. Here are five Carroll replacements that the Raiders should consider, as well as coordinator options for those coaches.
5 Pete Carroll replacements Raiders fans should love
1. Klint Kubiak
OC: Kevin Stefanksi
DC: Aden Durde
Kubiak, much like Ben Johnson last offseason, has become the apple of Raider Nation's eye. His Seattle Seahawks offense is second in the league in scoring and top 10 in both rushing and passing. As a first-time head coach, however, he'll need to have some experience on staff.
His father, Super Bowl-winning head coach Gary Kubiak, would probably help out. However, Kevin Stefanski, who worked for Gary and is on his way out as the Cleveland Browns' head coach, could be a great hire. The two spent three years together on the Minnesota Vikings' staffs in the 2010s.
Durde is the Seahawks' defensive coordinator, but perhaps Kubiak could sway him to Las Vegas by giving him play-calling duties, which he doesn't have in Seattle. If he could mimic Mike Macdonald's tendencies and help bring the Seahawks' defensive juice to the Raiders, however, then look out.
2. Kliff Kingsbury
DC: Matt Burke
Kingsbury may not be a popular choice, but he will certainly be in the running. Not only does he have an extensive history of working with great quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield, but his relationship with Tom Brady dates back to when the two were teammates in 2005.
During his four years with the Arizona Cardinals, Kingsbury never had an offensive coordinator. With Mark Davis still paying Chip Kelly around $12 million, he may not mind saving some. Kingsbury could have his former player and current Broncos QB coach, Davis Webb, come over to help out somehow.
Burke is the Houston Texans' defensive coordinator, and like Durde, he doesn't call plays; DeMeco Ryans does. Burke is a bright defensive mind and served as a defensive line coach under Kingsbury in Arizona. An increase in duties in Las Vegas could intrigue him to join forces with Kingsbury again.
3. Mike LaFleur
OC: Aubrey Pleasant
DC: Raheem Morris
The offensive staff here lacks experience. LaFleur could easily draw on his Shanahan tree connections to land more seasoned coordinators, but something is intriguing about going all in on the youth movement. LaFleur is 38, and Pleasant is 39. These guys could be around a while.
Pleasant has coached in the NFL in various posts, but he currently serves as the assistant head coach and passing game coordinator alongside LaFleur with the Rams. Additionally, he coached at Michigan for a few seasons, which could pique the interest of Brady and Spytek.
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Morris was recently fired by the Atlanta Falcons, but he has nearly six years as a head coach under his belt. This would be a perfect blend of youth and experience, and it would give LaFleur a good person to lean on. LaFleur and Pleasant run the offense, Morris runs the defense.
4. Adam Stenavich
OC: Klay Kubiak
DC: Derrick Ansley
Stenavich is the Packers' offensive coordinator, and he has a history as a great offensive line coach. His time as an award-winning offensive lineman at Michigan gives credence to that, and he coached the Wolverines for two years, too. He's not a play-caller in Green Bay, so he could be a CEO coach.
That would pave the way for Klay Kubiak, currently the 49ers' offensive coordinator, to come to Las Vegas and actually call plays. In San Francisco, that is Kyle Shanahan's duty. But Stenavich worked under Shanahan for several years and followed Matt LaFleur to Green Bay. The connection is strong.
Ansley was the Chargers' defensive coordinator in 2023, but before that, Mark Davis made him the highest-paid defensive backs coach in the NFL back in 2018. The Raiders had 14 picks that year. Ansley is currently the Packers' defensive pass game coordinator, but would surely love a promotion.
5. Brian Flores
OC: Brian Daboll
DC: Patrick Graham or Rob Leonard
Flores' track record indicates that he will be a good head coach again. If there was ever a franchise to hire someone who was blacklisted for a bit, it would be the Raiders, following in the footsteps of the legendary Al Davis.
Daboll will be looking for a job this offseason, and why not join Flores, his former Patriots counterpart? Daboll helped develop Josh Allen in Buffalo and did a good job with Jaxson Dart this season, so he'd be a wise guy to have in the building with a rookie quarterback.
Graham and Flores' connection goes way back to their days with the New England Patriots as well. Flores actually hired Graham as his defensive coordinator upon taking the Miami Dolphins head coach job, and he could do it again in Las Vegas.
If Graham is sick of Sin City, the Raiders could promote defensive line coach Rob Leonard to the defensive coordinator post. He worked under both Graham and Flores with the Dolphins for several years, and he put quite a game on his résumé in Week 18 against the Kansas City Chiefs.