Raiders Hire Klint Kubiak, Signaling a More Disciplined, Patient Era

HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders have hired their new head coach, tagging 38-year-old Super Bowl champion and Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, to lead the storied franchise.

Kubiak brings a vast resume in the National Football League to the desert.

Kubiak has coached in the NFL for 13 seasons and has been a coach for 17 seasons.

Aug 5, 2022; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak during training camp at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Per the Seahawks, “He is the oldest son of Gary Kubiak, who played quarterback for the Denver Broncos for nine seasons (1983-91), long-time NFL assistant coach, Houston Texans head coach (2006-13), and Super Bowl 50-winning head coach for the Broncos (2015-16). He has two brothers, Klay, the San Francisco 49ers offensive passing game specialist, and Klein, who serves as a national scout/special projects for the Dallas Cowboys.”

How Did It Happen

Coming into the search, the Raiders had targeted a young, offensive-minded leader. We reported that, even before Pete Carroll's firing, we made it abundantly clear when we broke the story.

Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytke, Pete Carroll | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Additionally, we reported from day one that Kubiak was the Raiders' number one target, and their discipline in the process led to them landing their true number one overall pick as a coach.

Spytek, at his press conference after moving on from Carroll, was confident in what he wanted from a new head coach.

Spytek said, "We're looking for someone to build this the right way and not think that we've got to produce 10 wins or whatever next year. It'd be great to do. And we see teams like the Patriots and the Jaguars flip it. I've always kind of thought that you're never as good in this league as you think you are, and you're never as far away as you think you are.”

Las Vegas Raiders John Spytek | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

He elaborated, “And we're just going to go open-minded. The work has begun upstairs this afternoon, and I've got to get back up here in a little bit and keep going. But we're going to prioritize. Whoever's the best coach for the Las Vegas Raiders is who we're going to hire.”

He concluded by adding, “And we're not beginning with the end in mind, and we want a meticulous build that will set us up for years of success in the future, and we have a great opportunity to do that with everything that we have in front of us right now."

How Kubiak Worked

The Raiders were indeed open-minded.

From the start, they were aggressive. While a young, offensive-minded new leader was their target all along, they interviewed and communicated with over 15 people.

After firing Carroll on January 5, the Raiders submitted their request to interview Kubiak on January 6, and the initial interview took place on January 9. Their second, and final interview took place on January 31.

We previously reported from sources inside the Raiders and with direct knowledge of the interview that it was “Incredible,” and that Kubiak had “Fueled the Raiders interest with his analytical nature, and acute attention to detail.”

That interview impressed Spytek and Brady as it brought back memories of their success in Tampa Bay.

The Spytek, Brady Dynamic

The Raiders' job was not for everyone. They had learned during the Carroll era that an experienced head coach already committed to his way would not work here, and would not work now.

Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady | Dexter Ernest Wayne Carpenter, On SI

Tom Brady is universally respected by critics and fans as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. While not the strongest or fastest, Brady separated himself with a strong analytical brain that looked under every rock for that last bit of information that could give him an edge.

In Tampa Bay, the two Michigan Men had a strong collaborative relationship. They understood each other.

According to one of the players on the roster with Brady, “Spy (John Spytek) would bring him volumes of data each week on every team. I’m not kidding, binders, and Tom would consume it. He loved the smallest details, could process them, and each week found a way to use one to his advantage. It was impressive how they got each other.”

Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

During the interview, and in dissecting the interview after, Kubiak had gone from the front runner, to an instant answer. He fit with Spytek and Brady.

They found a kindred football spirit that saw the game in a way that others don’t. Kubiak was smart, “brilliant” according to one source, and he loved the intricacies, the minutiae, and the little things others gloss over, looking for a morsel of football knowledge that can get a team the win.

In a sport that often comes down to the end, separating winners and losers by one small detail, Kubiak fit the way Spytek and Brady think.

Kubiak was the leading candidate when the process started, and the Raiders showed the discipline to wait the process out, as the Seahawks kept winning.

A New Raider Way

In my seven seasons covering the Raiders, they had not shown the discipline and patience that they did in this cycle.

Including last year, there were times it seemed as if the right hand had no idea what the left hand was up to.

Not so, in 2026. The vast array of interviews, even with some of the finest young defensive minds in the game, only cemented their commitment to a young offensive thinker.

Credit Kubiak, he and one other candidate stood out, but Kubiak fit like a “Hand in a glove” according to one team official.

He is their guy. Like it or not Raider Nation, he's now your guy.

He will have a learning curve, but so will the new quarterback he is expected to pick in the NFL Draft, as did his first-year GM and minority owner last season. For the first time in years, the Raiders have unity.

Las Vegas Raiders Mark Davis | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Although with a lot of inexperience now leading his franchise, Mark Davis is on board, we will see whether the new direction brings the patience to see the process through.

Now the real work begins.

But the Raiders didn’t settle. They didn’t flinch, and they didn’t acquiesce to the cries that they were taking too long.

Dare we say, the Raiders showed discipline.

Las Vegas Raiders Owner Mark Davis, GM John Spytek | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

They had a plan; they stuck to it, and perhaps gave an anemic fan base some real, legitimate hope in the process.

Congratulations to Mark Davis, Tom Brady, John Spytek, and Klint Kubiak.

Now only one thing remains: Just Win, Baby!

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