How the Raiders' Future Hiring of Klint Kubiak Is Being Received

The Las Vegas Raiders' newest head coach will be Klint Kubiak, a man who just helped the Seattle Seahawks reach the Super Bowl with Sam Darnold as their quarterback. He's an offensive wizard who's shown he can improve quarterback play dramatically from any team he's a part of.

That's going to be super important for Fernando Mendoza and his development, who will be the Raiders franchise moving forward. I believe the Raiders got the best head coaching candidate on the market, and they couldn't even wait until the big game to announce their decision. How does their decision stack up against every team that hired a new face as their head coach?

Grading Head Coaching Hires

Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek reacts during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ralph Vacchiano writes for FOX Sports and has written an article grading each head coaching hire made by an NFL team this offseason. The Raiders got a B- for their decision to bring Kubiak in, with only four head coaches ahead of him with a higher grade.

"He is the hot offensive assistant this year after his masterful work with the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks and quarterback Sam Darnold. But plucking the young, offensive star is often a boom-or-bust proposition, as not every great coordinator makes for a quality head coach", said Vacchiano.

May 11, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak looks on during the rookie minicamp at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Kubiak doesn't have any experience as a head coach, but he does have plenty of experience as an offensive coordinator and has done some pretty amazing things in the past couple of years. His time with the New Orleans Saints wasn't defined by anything special, but when their offense was healthy to kick off the 2024 season, they were one of the hottest teams and put up 40 points in consecutive games.

Although Kubiak's first season as the leader of the Silver and Black shouldn't be judged by their wins or losses in 2026. All that matters for the Raiders is the development of Mendoza and how well his connection comes along with the stars already on their roster. Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty must start to familiarize themselves with their signal caller because Mendoza will be the franchise quarterback for at least the next couple of years.

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) and head coach Curt Cignetti speak to the media after the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

I believe the Raiders' gamble to bring Kubiak will pay off. He's the next great head coach to emerge from the Kyle Shanahan tree and will be the franchise head coach for many years to come. The Raiders should've got a higher head coaching grade, and they should have a chip on their shoulder in 2026, ready to prove that they're next up.

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