The Las Vegas Raiders are progressing toward a formal contract agreement to designate Klint Kubiak, serving as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, as their head coach, according to an individual familiar with the negotiations who requested anonymity since no agreement has been finalized and announcements are deferred until after the upcoming Super Bowl, scheduled between the Seahawks and the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, California.
Kubiak, age 38, underwent a second interview with the Raiders recently and has emerged as the leading candidate for the position. If appointed, he would become the franchise’s third head coach in the past three seasons and the fifth full-time head coach since the Raiders transitioned to Las Vegas in 2020. His role will follow that of a prior coach who, after a distinguished tenure with Seattle highlighted by two Super Bowl appearances and a championship victory, endured a challenging season leading the Raiders with a 3-14 record.
The Raiders are expected to entrust Kubiak with overseeing the development of their franchise quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, who recently guided Indiana to a national championship title. The team holds the first overall pick in this year’s NFL draft and is anticipated to select Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy recipient.
In managing the construction of the team around Mendoza, the Raiders' front office possesses nearly $90 million in available salary cap space, ranking as the league's second-highest allocation according to overthecap.com. This financial flexibility is intended to facilitate acquiring key talent to complement the rookie quarterback’s entrance into the professional ranks.
Kubiak's coaching acumen caught the Raiders' attention through his work with quarterback Sam Darnold. Once considered underperforming after being the third overall pick by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL draft, Darnold rejuvenated his career by steering the Minnesota Vikings to 14 victories in the 2024 season. Although Minnesota later parted ways with Darnold, his subsequent performance leading Seattle to a 14-win season and a Super Bowl appearance against New England reinforced his advancement under Kubiak's guidance.
Additionally, Klint Kubiak's coaching lineage includes his father Gary Kubiak, who head coached the Denver Broncos to a Super Bowl championship in the 2015 season and played quarterback for the team from 1983 to 1991. If Klint assumes head coaching duties, they would form the tenth father-son duo to hold NFL head coach titles, encompassing interim roles. Klint also has two brothers employed by other NFL teams as staff members: Klay Kubiak, currently the 49ers’ offensive coordinator (who also interviewed for the Raiders’ position), and Klein Kubiak with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Raiders franchise has been actively seeking to restore its previous success, marked by three Lombardi Trophies at their facility. However, they have been unable to attain a playoff victory since the 2002 season, making only two playoff appearances since then, most recently in 2021. Owner Mark Davis, frustrated by the organisation’s underperformance, delegated the coaching search responsibilities to minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek.
Brady notably expressed favorable remarks about Kubiak’s coaching during a broadcast analyst role at the recent NFC championship game featuring Seattle and Los Angeles Rams. In that game, quarterback Sam Darnold completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns, contributing to Seattle’s 31-27 victory.
Mark Davis emphasized that Brady and Spytek’s oversight of football operations will extend beyond the hiring of the head coach. The Raiders conducted interviews with 15 potential coaching candidates in the search process.