The Las Vegas Raiders have made the playoffs just twice since the 2002 season, and coming off a 4-13 season in 2024, they’re looking for a head coach who will make them respectable again.
They were hoping to hire Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, but he instead decided to become the new head coach of the Chicago Bears.
Right now, rumor has it that two men have attracted lots of interest from the Raiders as far as filling their vacancy: Pete Carroll, the former longtime head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, and Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
According to one insider, one candidate reportedly has the edge.
“Two league sources currently believe Carroll is in the lead, but again this is still all up to the Raiders,” Josina Anderson wrote on X.
Developing: Former #Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is growing more interest from the #Raiders brass for their head coach vacancy, per league sources. #Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo candidacy has also drawn interest from Las Vegas, as well. Two league sources,… https://t.co/f2hdufFnDZ pic.twitter.com/VnsVjV0R85
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 23, 2025
Carroll has a decorated history as a head coach at both the pro and college levels, and in the NFL is best remembered as the Seahawks’ head coach from 2010 to 2023.
He quickly helped make Seattle into a powerhouse, especially on defense, and it won the Super Bowl championship during the 2013 season and nearly repeated the feat the following season.
Spagnuolo, meanwhile, is arguably considered the best defensive coordinator in the NFL, and his schemes, especially in big games, have been a key factor in the Chiefs winning three championships in the past five seasons and each of the past two Super Bowl titles.
The Raiders have a star in tight end Brock Bowers and a top pass rusher in Maxx Crosby, but they have many roster needs, including at quarterback, where they haven’t had a true franchise player in decades.
They haven’t won a single playoff game since that 2002 season, when they lost the Super Bowl to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
NEXT: Maxx Crosby Reveals What Raiders Are Looking For In A Head Coach
