3 Top Head Coach Candidates for the Raiders

Stability Incarnate

John Harbaugh has been fired from the Baltimore Ravens after a historic 18-year tenure, where he led them to a Super Bowl win and multiple playoff appearances. Say what you will about Harbaugh's coaching decisions in the playoffs, but the Raiders haven't made a postseason appearance since 2021.

Harbaugh gives them a leader who's seen what it's like to run a successful operation for consecutive seasons. He gives them stability, and will be one of the most sought-after coaching candidates in the offseason due to his history and prowess.

The biggest problem with Harbaugh as a candidate will be if he's even interested in taking over. Retirement's on the table for him after such an illustrious career, but even with his contributions, the Raiders are still far away from being on the same level as the Ravens have been these past couple of years.

And yet, the positives are too bright for the Raiders to dismiss. Having Harbaugh as their head coach finally gives them a franchise leader at the helm of their organization. It gives them a chance to keep up with the rest of the AFC West and their array of legendary head coaches.

High Offensive Ceiling

Kliff Kingsbury was the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders when they made that improbable NFC Championship run with a rookie Jayden Daniels. If Kingsbury were to become the next head coach of the Raiders, they would have the offensive infrastructure to recreate that.

Kingsbury's offense is similar to college when it comes to the number of RPO's he calls for his signal caller, as well as how much they like to run the ball. Ashton Jeanty's rookie season wasn't as explosive as the Raiders would've hoped, but Kingsbury could emulate the success he had in college with how much he uses the play-action pass and how that opens up the run game.

Kingsbury would also get full control over who the Raiders pick first overall. He'd be able to construct this offense down to who the quarterback is, giving him full control of their offense and how he wants to run it. Fernando Mendoza would thrive under him, as he would make that transition from college to the NFL much easier with Kingsbury leading the way.

One of the problems with having Kingsbury as a head coach is that there's a clear offensive ceiling with him. His style of offense is beginner-friendly, but it doesn't take enough risks in order to reach that next level. At this point in their franchise, the Raiders would kill for the success Daniels saw in his rookie season, and Kingsbury would certainly make that happen.

The Cutting Edge

Klint Kubiak has already been requested for interviews with multiple teams, including the Raiders, and for good reason. The Seattle Seahawks are the number one seed in the NFC, and that's largely due to how Kubiak is able to make up for Sam Darnold's faults.

The Seahawks are top ten in points per game, passing yards, rushing yards, and touchdowns. The Raiders don't have the same weapons as the Seahawks do, but with an entire offseason and a lot of cap space to spend, Kubiak would be able to build his dream offense.

He's similar to Kingsbury in the sense that he'd be able to capitalize on a rookie quarterback's strengths. Where he differs is that he's shown that his offense can lead a team all the way. It'll be interesting to see how he handles the playoffs and what offensive wizardry he'll show there.

Any of these head coaching candidates would be a blessing for the Raiders and would be a step in the right direction for their franchise. Their success hinges on who they decide to give all that power to, and for the sake of Raider Nation, it has to be someone who's prepared and who has a plan.

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