The landscape for the Las Vegas Raiders' head coaching search has now dramatically changed. With Conference Championship weekend now over, the Silver and Black can interview a handful of their coveted candidates again and could even hire a head coach this week. We're nearing that time.
Las Vegas' brass now also has the benefit of having watched these coaches on the biggest stage yet, which will help with their assessments. Mike McDaniel also officially signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. With all of that in mind, let's take a look at where the Raiders' current options stack up.
Re-ranking Raiders' HC candidates after Conference Championship games
1. Klint Kubiak, Seahawks OC
Tom Brady simply fawned over Kubiak and the Seattle offense on Sunday evening, and it's not hard to see why. The rushing attack carried the Seahawks last week, and without Zach Charbonnet this week, Kubiak completely flipped the script. He schemed guys wide open, so Sam Darnold could carry the team to victory. This Seattle offense is seemingly limitless, so Kubiak rises to the top spot.
2. Davis Webb, Broncos QB coach/Pass game coordinator
Webb could have remained at the top and even widened his lead had Jarrett Stidham performed well in the AFC Championship. It's hard to fault a guy too much for a backup quarterback playing poorly in a blizzard against one of the league's best defenses when the stakes were as high as they were. But Webb's being dropped was more about Kubiak's stellar outing. He remains a very strong candidate.
3. Mike LaFleur, Rams OC
LaFleur and the Rams' offense were not the issue in the loss to the Seahawks, as Los Angeles scored 27 points against one of the league's best defenses. Yes, Sean McVay deserves a lot of the credit as the play-caller, but LaFleur still plays a pivotal role in the operation. This staff has a nearly 38-year-old Matthew Stafford playing like an MVP, and some of the Rams' play designs are just bonkers.
4. Nate Scheelhaase, Rams passing game coordinator
Scheelhaase, for as young and relatively inexperienced as he is, seems like the frontrunner for the Cleveland Browns' job. And for good reason, as the Rams' passing attack mustered 374 yards and three touchdowns against Seattle's incredible secondary on Sunday. Just by mere osmosis, Scheelhaase has surely learned a lot, and McVay is known to be a great developer of coaching talent.
5. Joe Brady, Bills OC
The more I think about Brady, the more I warm to the idea of him as a good backup option. This time last year, everyone thought he'd be the hot name in this cycle, and it is hard to imagine that his coaching talent went away. He's still the guy who helped Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers set college football on fire, and he helped Josh Allen win an MVP last year. The Raiders could do far worse.
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6. Ejiro Evero, Panthers DC
Evero leapfrogs Shula in this ranking, simply because of how bad the Rams' defense looked against Seattle. Players seem to love Evero, and if not for a poor Broncos stint in which he was saddled by Nathaniel Hackett and Russell Wilson, perhaps he'd be perceived far better in league circles. But the Panthers' defense took major strides this year, and he's clearly still ascending in this profession.
7. Chris Shula, Rams DC
Shula's defense looked a bit hapless against Los Angeles in the NFC Championship, which dinged him on this list. His body of work is still important, but perhaps there is a reason that Shula has been passed over for several other jobs. Maybe another year as a coordinator to strengthen his résumé would be a good career move, but he should still be the last resort if Las Vegas wants to go young.
8. Brian Daboll, former Giants HC
Daboll was added to the process late, so he can't be near the top of the list, unless the Raiders are making a hard pivot at the last second. Daboll's work with young quarterbacks is credible, but his leadership skills are certainly in question. As an offensive coordinator, perhaps he could be reined in and be a net positive for Las Vegas. Otherwise, the team should steer clear.
9. Vance Joseph, Broncos DC
Joseph's defense balled out against the Patriots in the AFC title game, but to be fair, no offense was going to have success in those elements. Joseph is a good coach, but the Raiders have no business hiring an older, defensive-minded leader. It just doesn't make sense for where the franchise is. That said, if he brings Davis Webb as an offensive coordinator, that changes the equation, at least a little.
10. Matt Nagy, former Chiefs OC
Nagy wasn't retained by the Chiefs for a reason, and his old friend Mike Borgonzi did not hire him as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans for a reason. If the Raiders wanted to interview him a second time, they would have already. So, Nagy is clearly the last option on this list, and likely Las Vegas'. It would be a surprise to see him land even an NFL coordinator job at this juncture.