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Tom Brady keyed on Klint Kubiak early on, and now they’re together in Las Vegas
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- Tom Brady keyed on Klint Kubiak early on, and now they’re together in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS — As the Raiders worked through a long, detailed, and meticulous coaching search that spanned 35 days and 15 candidates, a group of decision-makers that included minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek kept returning to a central theme.
It's what ultimately led them to Klint Kubiak , the Seahawks offensive coordinator, to be their next head coach.
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The Raiders officially introduced Kubiak as their new leader on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and in talking to people with knowledge of the process, it was Kubiak's background of teaching and developing quarterbacks, and his intellect as an innovative offensive mind and playcaller, that ultimately elevated him over everyone else.
Las Vegas Raiders new head coach Klint Kubiak speaks during an introductory news conference at the NFL football team's training facility Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/Ian Maule) AP
Among them are former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, former Giants coach Brian Daboll, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who was hired by the Ravens as their new head coach, former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, now the new Falcons boss, and Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who the Dolphins hired as their head coach.
The decision to hire Kubiak didn't completely boil down to one factor , but in a league driven by quarterbacks, the direct path that finally opened for the Raiders to secure a potential difference maker at the most important position on the field played a decisive role.
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The path to a game-changing quarterback is what the pain of the previous 12 months has gifted the Raiders. The 14 gutwrenching losses, tied for the most in the NFL, the mistake they made in hiring Pete Carroll as their head coach last January, and the bitter frustration of seeing Allegiant Stadium, their luxurious home off the Las Vegas strip, turn into a weekly celebration for the thousands of opposing fans that packed it every week.
The reward for all that agony was the first overall pick in the 2026 draft, and undoubtedly Fernando Mendoza, Indiana's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and National Champion.
As Brady, Spytek, and the Raiders' powers that be sorted through their options, the power of that first pick and the critical importance of maximizing it became the driving forces.
"We have a uniquely challenging offseason with the first overall pick and new leadership with the head coach," Spytek said. "But that's why it was so important to us to find the right man to lead this organization forward."
Tom Brady attends the 2026 Fanatics Super Bowl Party at Pier 48 on February 07, 2026 in San Francisco. WireImage
Quite simply, they had to find someone whom they could unequivocally trust to help Mendoza reach his ceiling and, in turn, inspire an offensive revival that transforms an impotent Raiders attack into something far more efficient, powerful, and contemporary.
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The steadfastness of Brady and Spytek to find that candidate, and quite honestly, settle for nothing less, eventually landed them on Kubiak, the detailed, studious offensive coordinator of the Seahawks.
"It became evident that Klint was probably the one that would be the perfect person to take into the future," said Raiders owner Mark Davis, who entrusted Spytek and Brady with the coaching search. "For what we've got going now with the first pick in the draft, and everything else, to have a bright offensive mind. And that is really exciting."
The 38-year-old Kubiak is the son of former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl-winning coach Gary Kubiak. But also the product of a prodigious coaching tree with branches touching his own father, as well as fellow Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Shanahan, and Shanahan's son Kyle, the current head coach of the 49ers.
Kubiak's brainpower was on full display during the Seahawks' run to the Super Bowl championship this season, and in particular Brady, whose role as the lead analyst of Fox NFL meant Brady calling multiple Seahawks games this year.
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That allowed Brady to see firsthand what Kubiak was cooking up in the Pacific Northwest and planted the seed on what could be possible in Las Vegas. Brady was determined not to repeat the mistake he made in 2024, when he helped guide the Raiders' coaching search to replace Antonio Pierce.
Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak (left) and general manager John Spytek. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
His first choice was then Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, but Johnson eventually looked at the Raiders bleak quarterback situation, which at the time consisted of Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew , compared it to the situation in Chicago , where the Bears were chasing him to be their head coach, and rightfully decided he'd rather align himself with Caleb Williams .
Brady's pivot was to Carroll, the 73-year-old former Seahawks boss who offered very little in longevity and, worse, seemed to be operating out of a completely different playbook than Brady and Spytek, who understood the need to rebuild and develop younger players.
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Brady wasn't about to make the same mistake this time around.
The Raiders needed a young coach who could grow with them and Mendoza.
Kubiak was in Seattle for just one season, but his impact was indisputable.
The Seahawks improved from 18th in the NFL in scoring in 2024 to third in 2025. He also played a critical role in the career revival of quarterback Sam Darnold , first as his quarterbacks coach in 2023 in San Fransico, where Darnold spent a full year trying get his career on track after failing with the Jets and Panthers. And again during their reunion this year in Seattle, where Darnold delivered a career year.
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But it was the conversations Brady, Spytek, and Kubiak had during the interview process that sealed the deal. Brady is a football savant, and he developed an immediate connection with Kubiak during their first Zoom interview and subsequently when they met face-to-face for more than two hours during a far more extensive meeting.
The feeling was mutual.
Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek reacts during the game. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"He made the mistake of giving me his cell phone number, so he might wish he never did that," Kubiak joked. "Because I'm going to be calling him a lot."
Most impressive was how Kubiak was able to go toe-to-toe with Brady, even though he comes from a completely different West Coast offense background compared to the Ray Perkins and Ron Erhardt-based offense Brady was developed under in New England .
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"What I'm excited about is that we have different offensive backgrounds and how we can pull ideas from each other," Kubiak said. "But obviously, he's the greatest that's ever done it. And the interview process, just the passion that he spoke with on all things football, just got me excited about the opportunity to work with him."
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As much homework as the Raiders poured into Kubiak, he did just as much work on them by talking to colleagues around the league capable of shedding light on working for the Raiders.
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It hasn't always been a rosy situation in Las Vegas, with the Raiders hiring and firing three coaches since having to move on from Jon Gruden in 2021. They have had six head coaches overall since arriving in Las Vegas in 2020.
Kubiak had every right to inquire about the lack of patience the Raiders have shown and what it might mean for him.
The fact that he agreed to leave Seattle for Las Vegas tells you everything you need to know about the feedback he got from friends around the league and the confidence he has in himself to be the coach that changes all that.
"Yeah, there have been plenty of other coaches, but why not us? Why not this staff? Why not this group of players?" Kubiak said. "So, if you look at it in the lens of there's a history of some guys that are in and out of here pretty quick, I look at it as a great challenge. That's what the NFL is all about, competing."
The challenge is real. But the Raiders believe their detailed search led them to the right coach.
