The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of finding their next head coach after firing Pete Carroll following a 3-14 2025 NFL season. Moreover, with the No. 1 pick in their pocket, the Silver and Black need to get this head coach hire right, as the person will likely be responsible for developing Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernandon Mendoza.
With the Raiders going through several candidates, the team’s former CEO, Amy Trask, shared her take on who Las Vegas should pursue. During a Jan. 16 appearance on CBS Sports HQ, Trask explained why the Raiders should consider former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
“I believe the Raiders need to hire a leader, someone who is a tremendous leader who can come in and unite the organization and lead it internally,” Trask said. “You can find a really good offensive coordinator, you can find a really good defensive coordinator to help out so that your head coach can lead that organization, not just on the field, but in many, many ways off the field as well. My suggestion in that regard, Mike Tomlin, [he] can come in and be a strong leader for that team.
“While I’m at it, why not add Brian Flores as your defensive coordinator? Why not add Brian Daboll as your offensive coordinator? There’s a lot of history there between and among Mike Tomlin and these men, Tom Brady and these men. So, go get yourself a phenomenal defensive coordinator, a really good offensive coordinator, and bring in a leader to lead that organization in a Raider way.”
Raiders Need a Young Offensive Mind as Head Coach
While Trask wants the Raiders to hire a leader for their head coach position, another expert wants the Silver and Black to go with a young, offensive-minded coach. During his Jan. 13 appearance on CBS Sports HQ, NFL writer Tyler Sullivan noted the perfect candidate for Las Vegas, since the Raiders will likely have a young QB in Mendoza.
“[The Raiders] certainly want some stability because I think they’re paying like every head coach now,” Sullivan said. “It feels like in a prior contract, it just hasn’t worked out for them. So, it’s been an expensive endeavor, which is kind of why I don’t think they’re going to get one of those guys looking for a second [head coaching] gig, because it’s probably going to command a little bit more money.
“I think a guy like Klint Kubiak is someone who I find would be really interesting because, as much as we’re joking about the Raiders right now, I think that this is a really interesting job for somebody just like him who has an offensive mind, and this is somewhat close to a blank slate.”
Raiders Have Good Young Core for Incoming HC
Las Vegas are a three-win team and finished at the bottom of the standings. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t building blocks for a potential head coach to build on. Furthermore, with the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, they can potentially have a young QB in the mix, too.
“They have the No. 1 overall pick that potentially could be Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza,” Sullivan added. “It’s still obviously early in the process, but you’re probably going to take a quarterback number one overall, probably going to be Mendoza.
“You bring in a young quarterback like that with already some interesting skill position players like Ashton Jeanty, who they spent the first-round pick on, [and] Brock Bowers at the tight end spot. That’s a very interesting nucleus that you already have to start building up your offense along with your cap space.”
Raiders Receive Strong Mike Tomlin Message Amid HC Search