The Las Vegas Raiders franchise hasn’t been considered a hotbed for coaching talent over the years. In fact, they have never had a coordinator get hired as a head coach by another team.
Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard could start getting some interest if the defense is awesome in 2026, and offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko could benefit from Klint Kubiak leading a good offense.
However, there may be another assistant coach on the Raiders’ staff who is worth keeping an eye on. Tight ends coach Luke Steckel is one of the few returning coaches that Kubiak decided to keep. That makes sense considering under his guidance, Brock Bowers has become arguably the best tight end in the NFL.
The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue put together a list of assistant coaches who could “break out” in 2026, and she listed Steckel among them.
“Steckel was retained by new head coach Klint Kubiak, in part as a nod of respect to his work with young superstar tight end Brock Bowers in his first two NFL seasons under the previous coaching regimes,” Rodrigue wrote. “The position figures to have an even bigger role in Kubiak’s offensive system, which uses multiple tight ends and moves them all around the formation in both run and pass concepts — including screens.”
Steckel Happy He Was Able to Stay With Raiders
With a new head coach coming in, many assistants got let go, as is usually the case. Steckel didn’t have a previous relationship with Kubiak, so that didn’t help his chances.
However, the Raiders clearly liked him enough to keep him around. He’s grateful for the opportunity.
“The first thought is it just feels incredibly blessed to still be here,” Steckel told Raiders.com. “I really love working for this organization. I understand the significance of being a Raider, and I embrace that and I’m grateful for that. Just really grateful for this opportunity Coach Kubiak has given me. To be retained, not only once but twice here, I know how rare that is in this league. But it’s totally a reflection of the players that I’ve been able to coach and the head coaches that’ve given me an opportunity and have put their trust in me.”
Steckel Talks Kubiak
The offense is Kubiak’s baby, so for him to leave Steckel in charge of tight ends shows a big vote of confidence. Steckel is still getting to know Kubiak, but he’s been impressed with the coach thus far.
“It’s early in the process, but I feel like I’ve already learned so much from Coach Kubiak,” Steckel said. “His demeanor is consistent every single day – never gets too high, never gets too low. He’s got an incredible football mind. He sees the game clearly and quickly. He’s provided a lot of insight into this entire coaching staff and myself specifically. Really have enjoyed working with him. Just like we’re building relationships with the players, we’re building on the staff and that includes the relationships we have with the head coach. Just really impressed with what I’ve seen so far.”
Raiders May Have a Rising Star Assistant Coach: Insider