The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of finding their next head coach after the team fired Pete Carroll following their 3-14 2025 NFL season. While the Raiders roster has a couple of talented pieces, it’s a team in need of a rebuild.
Although the Raiders have Geno Smith, he’s not the answer long-term. With the Silver and Black holding the No. 1 pick, it’s clear that Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza will likely be the guy they take in April’s NFL Draft.
Moreover, minority owner Tom Brady is involved with the Raiders, so while Mark Davis holds the majority, it’s the former NFL QB who will have a significant hand in the roster construction. As a result, with a young signal-caller and Brady’s involvement, FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer notes that Las Vegas have the most attractive job opening.
“This is what candidates tell me they’re looking for; No. 1, you’re looking for a quarterback,” Glazer said in a video posted by FOX Sports on Jan. 12. “So if you’re looking for a quarterback, obviously, Lamar Jackson. Then you’re looking for, okay, how’s the general manager? How’s my partner? What’s the structure going to be?
“Then it’s ownership. Who’s not going to meddle? A lot of these teams, their owners don’t meddle. As far as the most attractive, if you’re asking me, Vegas [has the most attractive opening], what am I talking about? I could work with Tom. Yeah, I’d have to go probably [with] Vegas because of Tom.”
Insider Predicts HC Profile That the Raiders Will Hire
Amid all the names that the Raiders are considering, On SI’s Hondo Carpenter, who covers the Silver and Black, shared details on what type of coach the Raiders want leading them for the foreseeable future.
“I think Stefanski or [John] Harbaugh would be great hires,” Carpenter said on the Jan. 10 edition of the “Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast.“ “They are not going to be great hires in Vegas. Both men are going to want more money and longer terms than the Raiders are willing to give, and can you blame Mark [Davis]? He is paying tens of millions to people who do not coach here anymore. Then they are going to want more control than the Raiders are willing to give.
“I do not have a problem with that if you are the Raiders, as long as you get it right. Both guys would be great choices, but not great choices within the perimeter of what the Raiders want. I think they are going to end up with a young coach. I think they are going to end up with a young offensive coach.”
Rich Gannon’s Words on Raiders HC Search
As the Raiders are in the middle of their search for a new head coach, Rich Gannon had a blunt take for his former team.
“I just think there’s a lot that goes into that process of interviewing,” Rich Gannon said on Jan. 5 during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Tom doesn’t have a lot of experience doing it. There are people who sit in those chairs, and they conduct a lot of interviews. They’ve been doing it for a long time.
“John Spytek is going to have to be very involved in the process, along with Tom Brady, apparently. It sounds like Mark Davis doesn’t really want to be involved in that process. He wants to let these two guys make that decision, which is fine, but they’ve got to get it right.”
Insider Delivers Exciting Take for Raiders Amid Coaching Search