Raiders' Top Head Coach Candidate Couldn't Be More Clear

The Las Vegas Raiders missed out on Mike McDaniel, but their No. 1 option is still out there.

Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Tom Brady signs autographs before the 2026 NFC Championship Game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

It seems that Mike McDaniel pulled himself out of the running for the Las Vegas Raiders' head coaching job. While all reports were that he was still in consideration for the opening in Sin City, he officially signed on to become the offensive coordinator for Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers under Jim Harbaugh instead.

There could be a few different reasons for this. Harbaugh made it clear that McDaniel would be the "head coach of the offense" in LA. Perhaps the former Miami Dolphins play-caller believed that he could bolster his resume better with Herbert and the Chargers and land a better head-coaching opportunity there than to take his chances with the Raiders' rebuild. However, he might have seen the writing on the wall that Las Vegas had a different option at the top of its wish list instead.

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

Klint Kubiak should be the Raiders' top choice

The Las Vegas Raiders are doing things a bit differently this time around. Last year, minority owner Tom Brady was largely responsible for identifying the team's next head coach after they fired Antonio Pierce. Ben Johnson was believed to be the pick for Brady and the Raiders, but he wound up taking the Chicago Bears' job instead.

Shortly after, Las Vegas hired Pete Carroll, before General Manager John Spytek, who had only been hired days earlier, could even meet with him.

This time, Spytek is working in tandem with Brady to identify the next head coach of the Raiders. They haven't left any stone unturned. They've publicly interviewed 15 different candidates at this point. Mike McDaniel, Jeff Hafley, Jesse Minter, and Kevin Stefanski have all been hired by other teams, but there's quite a bit of talent still available for Las Vegas.

Raiders’ coaching search should come into focus after Sunday.

Multiple league sources consider Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak a prime candidate after a strong first interview.

Broncos pass-game coordinator Davis Webb is often mentioned in league circles as a viable option, too.…

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 25, 2026

Spytek was likely hard at work on Sunday, January 25, but Brady had a prior commitment that prevented him from doing any work in his capacity as a minority owner for the Raiders. Instead, he was commentating on the NFC Championship Game as the analyst for Fox Sports' booth.

While he technically wasn't working for Las Vegas in that time, he got to witness an outstanding performance from one of the team's top candidates: Seattle Seahawks Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Kubiak was able to scheme a victory for his team, getting the best of Los Angeles Rams Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula, another Raiders interviewee.

The Seahawks scored 31 points, with Kubiak coaxing a masterpiece out of quarterback Sam Darnold, who finished with 346 yards passing, three touchdowns, and no turnovers. As a first-hand commentator, Brady was evidently enamored with what he saw from Seattle's OC:

💎#RaiderNation What a play design by Klint Kubiak that confused the defense upon the snap & worked flawlessly for a TD🔥. pic.twitter.com/4irKUtQ0oB

— SniperJones🏴‍☠️🎙🇨🇴 (@iAmSniperJones) January 26, 2026

"I love the opening script by Kubiak. There was such great tempo with their offense."

"Such a great play call by Klint Kubiak as well. He understands that now, for the first time, the Rams’ D-line is like, let’s be super aggressive and try to make a big stop. Next thing you know, they take advantage of the overaggressiveness and the rush, and they lose coming out of the backfield."

Time will tell if Brady can bring Kubiak's offensive ingenuity back to Sin City with him.

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