For the second consecutive season, the Las Vegas Raiders are rendering their head-coaching hire a one-and-done.
The Raiders announced they had fired Pete Carroll via a statement from team owner Mark Davis on Jan. 5.
‘The Las Vegas Raiders have relieved Pete Carroll of his duties as head coach,’ the statement read. ‘We appreciate and wish him and his family all the best.’
The Raiders posted just a 3-14 record during Carroll’s lone season in Las Vegas while sporting one of the league’s worst offenses. The Raiders’ poor overall performance prompted the midseason firings of offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and special teams coordinator Tom McMahon before ultimately costing Carroll his job.
Now, the Raiders – armed with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft – will look to rebuild under the leadership of its fifth different coach since the start of the 2021 NFL season.
Who will make that decision? Davis announced in his statement that Las Vegas’ general manager, John Spytek, will lead the search for the Raiders’ next coach ‘in close collaboration with Tom Brady,’ who is a minority owner in the team.
Below are some of the top coaching candidates Las Vegas could consider as Spytek and Brady look to take the team in a new direction.
Who will replace Pete Carroll? 8 Raiders replacements
Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator
If Brady really does have significant say in the Raiders’ next hire, that could make Flores a top candidate. Flores spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Patriots, all while Brady was the team’s quarterback, so they have an extensive track record working together.
Flores is a top-tier defensive mind whose pressure-heavy scheme has worked at each of his NFL stops. Most recently, he turned the Vikings from a league-worst unit in 2022 to one that ranked top-two in pressure rate during the 2025 NFL season, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. The 44-year-old could create a similar, hard-nosed, attacking defense with the Raiders and finally give the team a much-needed identity.
Add in Flores’ previous head coaching experience – he logged a 24-25 record across three seasons with the Dolphins and led Miami to back-to-back winning seasons before his time there ended – and he checks a lot of boxes that should intrigue the Raiders.
Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator
Kingsbury is another coaching candidate with ties to Brady. The 46-year-old was drafted by the Patriots in 2003 and spent one season in the team’s quarterback room after suffering a preseason arm injury. Could that be enough to get Kingsbury a chance in Las Vegas?
Kingsbury posted just a 28-37-1 record across four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, but Kyler Murray enjoyed the best seasons of his career under his tutelage. Kingsbury then found similar success developing Jayden Daniels during his elite rookie season with the Commanders.
Kingsbury’s history with young quarterbacks, along with his quarterback-friendly system, could convince the Raiders to bring him in for an interview, especially if they’re planning to take a new starting quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Brian Daboll, former New York Giants head coach
OK, let’s be honest: Daboll probably isn’t getting another head coaching job fresh off a three-plus season stint with the Giants during which he went 20-40-1. He’s probably more likely to draw consideration as an offensive coordinator candidate, and the Raiders could have interest in him in that role if they hire a defensive-minded head coach.
At the same time, Daboll spent parts of 11 seasons with the Patriots, so he has strong ties to Brady. Daboll also earned flowers for his ability to develop Josh Allen during his early years with the Buffalo Bills and was making progress with Jaxson Dart before he was fired midway through the 2025 NFL season. That could lead the Raiders to at least kick the tires on the 50-year-old.
Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator
If the Raiders can’t land Flores but want a defensive-minded option, Joseph would make sense. The 53-year-old has a similar knack for generating pressure, as the Broncos led the NFL in sacks during the 2025 NFL season with 68.
The only knock on Joseph is he didn’t enjoy much success in his first stint as an NFL head coach. He logged just an 11-21 record across two seasons with the Broncos in 2017 and 2018.
Still, Joseph’s recent track record of success makes him an intriguing potential add for the Raiders. Pairing him with Maxx Crosby would be exciting, as would be the prospect of poaching him from a divisional rival.
Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator
Minter falls into a similar bucket to Joseph. He’s an up-and-coming, defensive-minded coach who coaches for one of the Raiders’ division rivals. Poaching him could weaken the Chargers, so Las Vegas may bring in Minter – a Michigan man, like Brady and Spytek – for an interview.
The Chargers had the NFL’s top scoring defense in 2024, Minter’s first season in charge of the unit. This year, Los Angeles finished top-10 in both yards and points allowed. The 42-year-old has shown an ability to develop young defensive players, especially in the secondary. That could appeal to the Raiders, who have a lot of younger talent at cornerback.
Klint Kubiak, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator
The Raiders could also tap a younger, offensive-minded coach to develop any young quarterback they draft.
Kubiak would certainly fit the bill. The 38-year-old led the Seahawks to top-10 finishes in yards and points per game in his first season with the team in 2025. Sam Darnold was able to build upon the success he enjoyed with the Vikings in 2024, which helped Seattle win 14 games and earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
Kubiak did similarly strong work with Derek Carr in 2024, so his track record developing quarterbacks is obviously impressive. That’s something the Raiders will need in their building as they consider selecting a quarterback No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Brady is another young coordinator who could soon get a coaching job. The 36-year-old has a strong track record developing quarterbacks, as he helped Joe Burrow turn in a historic season at LSU and oversaw Josh Allen’s first NFL MVP campaign in 2024.
Brady has already spent parts of five seasons as an NFL offensive coordinator, so he has a lot of experience for a candidate his age. That could convince Davis – ever looking for flashy hires – to bring in Brady for a look.
Grant Udinski, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator
It might be a bit early for Udinski to get looks as a head coaching candidate. He’s just 30 years old and has only one season of experience as an NFL offensive coordinator.
Still, it’s hard to argue with Udinski’s results. The Jaguars averaged 27.9 points per game during the 2025 NFL season while Trevor Lawrence enjoyed the best season of his career, posting 38 total touchdowns and quickly gaining confidence in Udinski and head coach Liam Coen’s scheme.
Spytek could have an interest in plucking a branch from Coen’s coaching tree. The two worked together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024.
It’s also worth noting that Udinski spent three seasons on Kevin O’Connell’s coaching staff with the Vikings. O’Connell was teammates with Brady for a season after being selected in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft.