Las Vegas Raiders Looking to Hire Georgia Bulldogs Offensive Line Coach Phil Rauscher

The Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly looking to hire Georgia Bulldogs offensive line coach Phil Rauscher ahead of the 2026 football season.

With both the college football and NFL offseasons underway, numerous coaching changes have begun taking place across the sport as teams from both leagues look to bolster their 2026 staff, and retain their current one.

The Georgia Bulldogs are one of the many teams to have experienced a handful of changes, with a multitude of departures and hirings taking place for Kirby Smart. But while the Bulldogs spring practice is just over a month away, the Dawgs' coaching departures may not be through.

According to reports, the Las Vegas Raiders are in heavy pursuit of current Bulldogs offensive line coach Phil Rauscher and are looking to hire the coach as the team's next offensive line coach in Las Vegas. This has created a pseudo-recruiting battle between the two organizations for the coach.

The Raiders have already undergone a massive staff change this offseason, with the hiring of Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to be the team's next head coach. Kubiak and Rauscher reportedly have deep ties together.

Phil Rauscher's Time With the Georgia Bulldogs

Dec 30, 2023; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; A detailed view of the Georgia Bulldogs helmet during the 2023 Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Rauscher was brought onto the Bulldogs staff ahead of the 2025 college football season as an analyst, and was renowned by many for his abilities as a coach. He was recently promoted to offensive line coach, however, his time with the Bulldogs may be shorter than expected, should the coach elect to return to the NFL.

The majority of Rauscher's coaching career has taken place in the NFL, and the offensive line specialist has spent time with four different organizations with numerous different coaching titles. While this doesn't immediately confirm his return to the NFL, it certainly will make keeping him in Athens much more difficult.

Fending off NFL teams at the collegiate level can be extremely hard for coaching staffs to do, due to the prestigious nature that comes with coaching in the NFL. It becomes that much harder when said coach has a previous history within the league and connections with the head coach who is trying to hire him.

The Bulldogs will look to fend off the Raiders and retain Rauscher ahead of the 2026 season, in hopes of maintaining their standard of excellence at the offensive line. Georgia's 2026 regular season will begin on Saturday, September 5th, when the Bulldogs take on Tennessee State in Athens.