In our latest installment of our writer’s roundtable, let’s see where everyone lands on who should be the next Las Vegas Raiders head coach.
Las Vegas does not need another coaching search that feels like entertainment. It needs an organizational decision that lowers volatility.
The Raiders fired Pete Carroll after a 3-14 season and now hold the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft. General manager John Spytek has framed the reset as a culture build—discipline, accountability, and “team before self.” That language is familiar around the league. The difference is whether Las Vegas can turn it into a weekly standard, with a real plan for quarterback development, staff continuity, and game-day operations.
The question is both straightforward and challenging: Who can establish a comprehensive operation in the AFC West, where Kansas City sets the standard and errors are swiftly penalized? Let’s explore the selections made by some of our writers.
Who should be the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders?
Dalton Blackman | @blackman_dalton
My pick for head coach is Klint Kubiak. The Raiders missed out on Ben Johnson last year, but they now have another chance to hire one of the top offensive minds available.
Whoever takes this job will likely be tasked with developing a rookie quarterback, potentially Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Kubiak has a track record of getting the most out of quarterbacks in a similar mold, including Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold, by building structure, defined reads and play-action answers that keep the offense on schedule.
He also brings an NFL pedigree that matters in this moment. The Raiders need more than a play caller; they need an organizer who can assemble a staff with a clear plan on both sides of the ball. Kubiak’s background and league connections should help him build that kind of operation.
Willy Razo | @bigwillystyl
Klint Kubiak is the candidate the Raiders should want leading this team. When most expected Sam Darnold to regress, Kubiak’s offense elevated the players around him, turning non-household names into consistent playmakers.
The Raiders need that kind of modern, youthful edge—an offensive spark that can raise the floor and build confidence, not just call plays. Las Vegas has lacked a stable identity for years, and the next head coach has to bring one.
Kubiak would also offer something the Raiders have rarely sustained: a clear offensive structure that can develop a quarterback, create defined answers against pressure, and help skill players win with spacing and timing. That is how you take a team from chaotic to functional.
If the Raiders want a jolt similar to what Jon Gruden brought in the late 1990s, the goal should be the same even if the style is different: establish an identity, modernize the operation, and make the offense a weekly advantage.
Mario Tovar | @TheTovarMario_
Jesse Minter should be the Raiders’ next head coach. He brings a defensive plan that holds up week to week—organized, disguised and built to limit explosive plays. His defenses play fast without losing control, and that alone would raise the Raiders’ profile. We’ve seen what he can do with a talented Chargers defense; imagine what he’ll do with Maxx Crosby. Hey, maybe Khalil Mack would follow him to Sin City.
Sonny Guzik | @RaidersBlogALot
Is it really going to matter? Raider Nation will complain no matter who gets the job.
*Top Photo: Ramble Illustration/Getty Images