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Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll walks off the field after the Raiders defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 14-12 at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Raiders' Hiring of Pete Carroll Receives a Notable Distinction

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated Jan 29, 2026 3:30 PM ET

After firing Pete Carroll earlier this offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders are currently searching for their fourth head coach in as many seasons. Las Vegas' recent head-coaching hires have led to losing seasons. As they look forward, it is worth first looking backward.

Carroll's Top-Heavy Raiders

Las Vegas signed Carroll last offseason, making him the oldest coach in legue history. He would then break that record when he turned a year older shortly after the regular season began. That type of irony would follow Carroll's Raiders, which got off to a rocky start and never recovered.

After emphasizing increased competition the entire offseason, Carroll's Raiders started the season 1-4. Injuries to several of their top players early in the season only made matters worse. Still, Carroll's Raiders did not look like a competent professional football team for much of the season.

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

There is bad, then there is Carroll's only season with the Raiders, bad. They were somehow worse than Antonio Pierce's Raiders the season before. Carroll's Raiders often looked lifeless and like a team that did not believe they had a chance. That was almost never said about Pierce's Raiders.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN ranked Carroll's hire the 31st-best hire since 2021. There have been 37 such hires. Carroll's time with the Raiders was painful to watch week after week. Las Vegas hopes to turn things around this season with a new head coach and the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"I was optimistic that Carroll's experience would make him an upgrade over Pierce. I was wrong. Despite beating the eventual AFC champion Patriots in the opener, Carroll's Raiders were hopeless for most of the season, especially when star tight end Brock Bowers and left tackle Kolton Miller were out of the lineup," Barnwell said.

"Carroll's defense never showed any consistent aptitude for stopping offenses, and he fired both special teams coordinator Tom McMahon and highly-paid offensive coordinator Chip Kelly before the end of the year. Carroll has earned his status as a legend for his work elsewhere, but he wasn't able to build the program in Las Vegas."

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Raiders General Manager John Spytek hopes to have a more positive relationship with the Raiders' next head coach. Many believe that it will be Klay Kubiak. Spytek gave insight into his relationship with Carroll, which was reportedly not always the best.

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

"I wouldn't say that we were operating on different timelines, and I've also never been in a relationship where we both agree all the time. I mean, ask my wife, she'll tell you that. Anything that we didn't always agree on we talked about,” Spytek said.

“I had a great relationship – he was always in my office, I was always in his office, we collectively sat in the space together until we felt like we could make the best decision in the Raiders. And we didn't obviously get everything right.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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