Raiders Taking Different Approach in Finding Next HC

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Jan 19, 2026 8:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders are searching for their next head coach. They are taking their time and making sure they do all their homework on what they are looking for in the next head coach of this organization.

The Raiders want to make sure that this is the last head coach they look for in a while. This is the second straight offseason where the Raiders are looking for the right man for the job. That is something that they do not want to do again next season.

The search is led by Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek. For Brady, he knows what it takes to win and how a head coach is a big reason for that.

He knows what he is looking for in the next head coach and wants to make sure that he gets the right head coach who could lead the team in the right direction for many years to come. For Spytek, he has known how to achieve success for years in an organization. He knows how to find that coach.

Head Coaching search different this time around for Raiders

"The most complex job on the market, the Raiders, who try to structure a coaching staff when they hired Pete Carroll, brought in Chip Kelly, and retained Patrick Graham. And it became very clear that mashing different philosophies simply was not going to work," said NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

"To make it clear, general manager John Spytek was not really a part of that search last year. He is now running that search fully. Tom Brady is helping for sure. But Spytek is the one who is in the building every day. He knows from his time in Tampa how a coaching staff is supposed to look and collaborate. I fully expect whoever the next head coach is to be able to pick his own staff, which is a very important detail."

The #Raiders have had a bunch of HC searches over the years, but this year is different — and how they’re approaching it is the key thing for people to understand: pic.twitter.com/BfGpC40Lku
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 14, 2026

"The Raiders are now moving forward with the No. 1 pick, potential Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Brock Bowers, and Ashton Jeanty. That is your core. Pairing the right coach, and that is the key word, the right coach. Those talented young players could absolutely lead to stability for the next decade plus."

The Raiders have more to offer their next head coach this time around. That is something they did not have last offseason in their head coaching search. The Raiders have the draft capital and the money to spend on improving this team in free agency.