The head coach Tom Brady must bring in to fix Raiders after Pete Carroll debacle

Things are set up nicely for the Las Vegas Raiders in next year’s NFL Draft, even though the Pete Carroll experiment didn’t work. And here is the head coach part-owner Tom Brady must bring in to fix the Raiders after the Carroll debacle.

The Raiders finished 3-14, and that record was bad enough to secure the first overall. It’s one they will almost certainly use on a quarterback. But who will be coaching that quarterback?

A lot of talk has centered on Brian Flores, but the Raiders’ best bet is getting a coach who can grow with the new quarterback. That means the choice should be between Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

The Raiders need to grab Klint Kubiak

If there was any doubt, this should have been sealed when Kubiak coaxed a near-flawless game out of Sam Darnold. The Seahawks wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the NFC with Darnold finally coming through in a big game. That tells a story about what Kubiak can do.

Imagine what he could do with a rising star like Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore. Those quarterbacks will be the picking points for the Raiders, and Kubiak could do great things with either one of them.

The Seahawks rank No. 8 in passing and No. 11 in running the football. But in the most important category, are No. 3 in points scored with 28.4 per contest. That’s a healthy resume Kubiak could bring to Las Vegas.

If the Seahawks make it to the Super Bowl, Kubiak will be the hottest coaching ticket in the NFL. That may make it tougher for the Raiders to get him, but it should only heighten their pursuit.

Kubiak comes with experience and pedigree. He is in his third season as an offensive coordinator, after spending 2021 with the Vikings in that role and 2024 with the Saints. His dad, Gary, was a well-respected head coach who led the Broncos to a Super Bowl title in 2015.

What about Tom Brady’s input?

So what is Brady’s role in all of this? Pretty important, according to NFL.com.

“Minority owner Tom Brady is close to general manager John Spytek, his onetime teammate at Michigan,” Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero wrote before Carroll’s firing. “If Carroll is let go, they are expected to play a key role in advising (owner Mark) Davis on the next hire.”

Brady already tipped his hand about who the Raiders should pick at quarterback in the draft, according to a post on X by Henry McKenna via heavy.com.

“I love everything about his game, certainly,” the seven-time Super Bowl champion said about Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. “His leadership is what stands out to me. It’s his relatability to his teammates. He’s overcome a lot of things in his career. He’s a Miami kid, went to Cal, to Indiana. And then you go to a program that hasn’t won anything in forever. And what he’s done this season is so impressive.”

The Raiders have a lot of work to do

They need a quarterback, of course, but they also need massive help at the wide receiver position. And those are just for starters.

Las Vegas will likely need to find help for the offensive line through the draft and free agency. But the latter route is often difficult in terms of finding quality players. That’s because NFL teams don’t let those guys go.

This isn’t a team where a tweak or two will put them back into contention. The Raiders need significant pieces just to get back in the above-.500 conversation again. Plauyoff talk isn’t really on the table right now.

However, getting the right guy as head coach makes a ton of difference. Clearly, the choice of Carroll put the team spinning into the abyss of NFL ugliness.

The good news is the Raiders have running back Ashton Jeanty. The rookie managed 1,321 total yards and 10 touchdowns despite playing behind a bad offensive line.

With a capable quarterback being able to take some heat off of Jeanty, he could thrive as a second-year player. Jeanty is certainly a piece the Raiders can build around for the 2026 season and beyond.

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