Primarily because the team has churned through so many in the past, a popular question among Las Vegas Raiders fans is how the organization went about its process to hire a new head coach. Well, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer recently detailed how Las Vegas landed former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
“The Raiders wanted someone who wanted them,” Breer wrote. “That sounds simple, of course. But there’s more to this than just that—there was a real self-awareness to it. The Vegas brass knew their job wasn’t, at this point anyway, the Buffalo [Bills] or Baltimore [Ravens] job. The franchise has made the playoffs just twice in the past 23 seasons, and this would be their fourth coaching search in five cycles. So, yes, it’s one of 32. But the Raiders wanted more than just that.”
Breer then said that Kubiak conveyed a desire to be in Vegas and wanted to be part of the upcoming rebuild, noting the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft as part of the allure. However, the coach’s loyalty to his job and players at the time was a bit of a hurdle, which made the Raiders’ brass even more interested in him.
“Kubiak was, simultaneously, incredibly conflicted about being there interviewing, first over Zoom, and then in a ballroom at the Hyatt Regency in Renton, Wash,” Breer continued. “He relayed to the Raiders folks that he felt like he should be preparing for the 49ers during the Zoom interview, one of five he took that weekend (he also met with the Falcons, Giants, Ravens and Cardinals). During his second interview, in person, he flat-out told the Raiders, ‘I owe everything to these players. All I want is to make sure they get the result they deserve.’”
Breer also provided more details about the search, touching on who was included in the Raiders’ search committee, Seahawks general manager John Schneider being the one to break the news to the Raiders, and that John Spytek urged Kubiak to attend the Super Bowl parade despite the coach originally planning to sit it out.
In Other Raiders Links
- What can Bud Clark bring to Raiders: a film breakdown on draft prospect and TCU safety, who was a standout at the Senior Bowl and would be a great addition to the backend of Las Vegas’ defense.
- What will Andrew Janocko provide?: “Additionally, Janocko has preached an emphasis on quarterbacks being ‘perfect’ within 8 yards of the LOS and working the sidelines well,” S&BP’s Tristen Kuhn wrote. “First overall selection Fernando Mendoza has done an excellent job with a near 80% completion rate within 8 yards, and a 72% rate when targeting the sidelines.”
- Could Jim Schwartz still join Raiders?: Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio explains why he thinks the former Browns defensive coordinator could end up in Vegas even after the Raiders promoted Rob Leonard.
- Raiders named potential landing spot for Von Miller: “Miller, 36, managed to lead Washington with nine sacks in 2025 while playing rotational snaps on an affordable $6 million deal,” Fox Sports’ Greg Auman wrote. “He played in his heyday for Gary Kubiak in Denver, so could he finish his career with Klint in Las Vegas?”