The search is over. After a 2025 season that could best be described as “dysfunctional,” the Las Vegas Raiders have officially named Klint Kubiak as their 25th head coach.
Written By Raider Wil
This isn’t just another coaching hire; it’s a strategic pivot. After the Raiders offense finished dead last in the league last year, landing the architect of the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX-winning offense feels like a jackpot. Here is why the Silver and Black faithful should be optimistic about the 38-year-old play-caller.
1. A Proven Offensive Pedigree
Kubiak doesn’t just come from a coaching family (son of Super Bowl winner Gary Kubiak); he comes from the most successful “tree” in modern football: the Kyle Shanahan system.
In Seattle last season, Kubiak turned Sam Darnold into a Pro Bowler and led an offense that was lethal. The numbers speak for themselves:
Seattle Averaged 28.4 Points per game, third in the NFL. 351.4 yards per game, eight in the NFL. Lastly Rushing yards 123.3 tenth in the NFL. While the Las Vegas Raiders averaged 14.1 Points per game, last in the NFL. 245.2 also last in the NFL. 77.5 yard rushing, last in NFL
2. Maximizing the “Young Pillars”
The Raiders have elite talent in tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty, but they were criminally underutilized last year. Kubiak’s system is famous for “12 personnel” (two tight ends) and “21 personnel” (two backs), creating mismatches that keep defensive coordinators awake at night.
* The Bowers Factor: In Seattle, Kubiak’s 12 personnel packages led the league in passing yards per play (10.5). Imagine Bowers operating in those spaces.
* The Jeanty Leap: While Jeanty struggled behind a porous line last year (3.7 yards per carry), Kubiak’s outside zone scheme just produced a Super Bowl MVP in Kenneth Walker III.
3. The “Mendoza” Connection
With the Raiders holding the No. 1 overall pick and Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza likely on the way, the fit couldn’t be better. Mendoza, a Heisman winner and National Champ, has already gone on record as a “huge fan” of Kubiak’s film.
Kubiak has a Midas touch with quarterbacks. Whether it’s the career resurgence of Sam Darnold, the efficiency of Derek Carr in New Orleans, or the development of Brock Purdy in San Francisco, Kubiak knows how to build a system that protects and empowers his signal-caller.
“The way [Kubiak] is able to incorporate outside zone and get the edge… and the way he has developed Sam Darnold has been phenomenal.” — Fernando Mendoza
What’s Next for the Raiders?
While the coach is in place, the work is just beginning. To make this vision a reality, GM John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady need to focus on two things this offseason:
* Rebuilding the Trenches: The Raiders need at least three new starters on the offensive line to facilitate the zone-run game.
* Adding Perimeter Weapons: To take the heat off Bowers, expect the Raiders to target free-agent receivers like Rashid Shaheed (who knows Kubiak’s system) or Alec Pierce.
The Raiders spent 2025 in the cellar. By hiring Kubiak, they’ve signaled they are ready to climb out—and they’re doing it with one of the brightest offensive minds in the game.
