The Las Vegas Raiders are once again pressing the reset button at head coach, parting ways with Pete Carroll after a single season on the sidelines. Owner Mark Davis confirmed the decision in a statement released January 5, officially ending Carroll’s brief tenure in Las Vegas.
The move follows a challenging 2025 campaign in which the Raiders finished with a 3–14 record and struggled mightily on offense. Those issues sparked in-season changes, including the dismissals of offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and special teams coordinator Tom McMahon.
With reports coming in that Tom Brady will be joining Las Vegas GM John Spytek in the search for a new head coach, fans will be eager to see what new era of football Brady and Spytek can bring to the Raiders.
Here are six candidates for the Raiders’ opening:
Brian Flores, Defensive Coordinator (Minnesota Vikings)
If any coach fits the Raider way of physicality and toughness, it’s Minnesota’s DC Brian Flores. Brady and Flores have a relationship dating back to their time together in New England, where they won four Super Bowls together. This could give Flores an edge or at least help get him in the building for an interview.
While he was a head coach, Flores posted back-to-back winning seasons along with one of the best defensive turnarounds in the league. He’s not a “fun” coach, but perhaps that is what Las Vegas needs in a locker room that requires leadership and discipline.
The Raiders had the 21st-ranked defense in the NFL this season, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact metric, and Flores could be the key to turning things around.
Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL is still pending, but as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk noted, “For a team like the Raiders, which has a history of litigation against the league, it may not matter.”
Joe Brady, Offensive Coordinator (Buffalo Bills)
With young coaches being a trend in recent years, Bills OC Joe Brady could definitely be next in line for a head coaching gig following his fifth year as an offensive coordinator. And with a weak offensive attack leading to Carroll’s departure — after Las Vegas ranked 31st in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric — a good offensive expert may be what the Raiders need.
Brady was the architect of LSU’s 2019 offense, considered one of the best, as well as the catalyst for Josh Allen’s growth that led to his 2024 MVP award.
Stacked up against the other coordinators on this list, Brady has the best argument for being at the top. While he has no experience yet as a head coach, his development with quarterbacks and growth into a top-five playcaller signal a potential emergence as a franchise’s shot caller soon.
Jedd Fisch, Head Coach (Washington Huskies)
A proven track record in the NFL, current Washington Huskies HC Jedd Fisch may be on the way back to the league if the right opportunity presents itself. A former Patriots coach, Fisch learned from Belichick during Brady’s tenure in New England, creating ties that Brady might be inclined to explore for an interview with the Huskies head coach.
Fisch also spent time with Carroll and Sean McVay, as well as several other decorated coaches working both sides of the football, proving to have a great understanding of the game. He’s only been a head coach at the college football level, but Fisch may be interested in the challenge of taking on an NFL team if Spytek and Brady give him a call.
Jeff Hafley, Defensive Coordinator (Green Bay Packers)
Only the Packers’ defensive coordinator for two seasons, Jeff Hafley, has generated a solid buzz around his name from players and coaches around the league. He was a former head coach at Boston College for three years before joining the Pckers staff in 2024.
Known as a players’ coach, Hafley has been well-respected in every locker room he has been a part of. He has a strong reputation for developing secondaries, and an opportunity like this allows Hafley to reestablish himself as a head coach.
Klint Kubiak, Offensive Coordinator (Seattle Seahawks)
If there were ever a legacy to be a head coach, Klint Kubiak would undoubtedly fall under the description as the son of Super Bowl-winning coach Gary Kubiak. Learning from Kyle Shanahan, Kubiak has become one of the most prominent offensive minds in the NFL.
Kubiak is currently with the Seattle Seahawks, which has a top-10 offense, per PFSN Offensive Impact Rating. If any team needs a turnaround offensively next season, it’s the Raiders, who had the second-worst offense in the league.
Kliff Kingsbury, Offensive Coordinator (Washington Commanders)
With the Raiders holding the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, fans and analysts around the league anticipate the arrival of a rookie quarterback to Las Vegas, and who better to hire when bringing in a new quarterback than a proven QB guru in Kliff Kingsbury?
Kingsbury posted a 28-37-1 record across four seasons as a head coach, but has a strong history with young quarterbacks that could warrant considering him for an interview to see what changes he can make for the Black and Silver. Paired with a strong defensive coordinator, Kingsbury has the potential to develop a strong outlook on the modern NFL.
