Sportsnaut
The Las Vegas Raiders coaching search last offseason landed on Pete Carroll, with Tom Brady and Mark Davis hoping the iconic coach would bring stability to the franchise. With the club now seeming to be even worse off than it was a year ago, it’s once again time to evaluate Raiders coaching candidates.
It’s worth keeping in mind that Las Vegas faced a lot of rejection last time around. Brady, who was heavily involved in the Raiders coaching search, reportedly struck out on his top three candidates. Firing Carroll wouldn’t make this job any more desirable for potential head-coaching candidates, but Carroll has left the franchise with little choice.
With that in mind, let’s dive into our list of Raiders coaching candidates for 2026.
There will be a theme with our Raiders coaching candidates. Las Vegas can’t go after the top names; this job just doesn’t carry nearly that level of appeal, and the roster isn’t good enough to overlook the organization’s history. However, there are a few top coordinators out there seeking a second chance to be an NFL head coach, but they have limited opportunities. Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is one of them.
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Since he took over as defensive play-caller in 2023, the Vikings defense has ranked fifth in EPA per Play (-0.046) with the sixth-lowest Success Rate (42.5 percent) allowed to opponents. That success traces back to his days with the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. Speaking of the Patriots, his time in Foxborough (2008-2018) obviously overlaps with Tom Brady, and there is a relationship there.
Other teams aren’t willing to hire Flores because of his ongoing racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and three teams (Broncos, Giants, and Texans). The Raiders organization certainly isn’t afraid of going against the norm for the league, even if it ruffles some feathers. Obviously, it would be critical to find an offensive coordinator for this to be successful, and Flores would want to make sure the Raiders’ quarterback of the future has a mentality that fits his coaching style. He might be one of the most realistic options for Las Vegas.
Sticking with our aforementioned point, there will only be a select number of NFL coaches willing to have their name involved in the Raiders coaching search. Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is one of the most respected names in football. However, the veteran coach has never come particularly close to landing another head-coaching job, even as his defenses played an instrumental role in multiple titles.
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A four-time Super Bowl champion as an assistant coach, Spagnuolo has orchestrated a defense in Kansas City that ranks ninth in EPA per Play (-0.020) since the 2020 season. He’s beloved by players and Brady called him the “bane of my existence” during...
