Insider believes Raiders coveted surprising coaching candidate

After firing Antonio Pierce shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 season, the Las Vegas Raiders were hard at work to find a suitable replacement at head coach.

With the help and influence of minority owner Tom Brady, the Raiders were firmly in the mix for Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, but he ended up going to the Chicago Bears. A quick pivot by the Raiders, as well as Brady’s continued influence, lead them to former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, and the team was successful in their pursuit the second time around. Along with new general manager John Spytek, the Raiders were hoping to build a foundation for sustainable success.

However, one insider suggests that the Raiders were targeting another candidate all along.

The new faces in the Raiders’ front office could have leaned the team in another direction.

In his article detailing his winners and losers of the offseason, The Athletic’s Mike Jones made the surprising admission that the Raiders were targeting Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen for their head coaching gig.

“Yet another reset just might pay off in a big way, starting near the top, where Tom Brady lured highly regarded Tampa Bay talent evaluator John Spytek to the desert to be general manager. The Raiders wanted Liam Coen to be their head coach, but wound up with Pete Carroll, who — given the state of the franchise — is probably better suited for the job anyway,” wrote Jones.

While the report does make sense with Coen sharing a Tampa Bay connection with Spytek and Brady, it never felt during the offseason as though the Raiders were meaningfully pursuing him.

Coen took many head coaching interviews before ultimately accepting a job with the Jacksonville Jaguars, so it is clear that he had interest in making the jump. However, the Raiders were never confirmed to even have scheduled an interview with Coen. It is unclear if the Raiders chose to prioritize Johnson instead or if Coen simply did not have interest in coming to Las Vegas, but it is odd that the team had such a level of interest in a candidate that never garnered much public consideration.

There is no use crying over spilled milk, however, as Carroll is firmly entrenched with the Raiders now, and his skillset is just what the team has been looking for.