The NFL coaching carousel is moving quickly with the Jacksonville Jaguars joining the New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and New York Jets among teams to hire head coaches. As for the Las Vegas Raiders coaching search with a general manager in place, NFL rumors point to a leader emerging in the field.
Las Vegas has already experienced a challenging hiring cycle this offseason. After firing Antonio Pierce following the regular season, the team waited several days before then firing general manager Tom Telesco. It provided the franchise with the opportunity to have continuity at the top of its hierarchy, but setbacks followed.
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The team was poised to hire Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek to take over as Raiders general manager, but then the Jaguars hired Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator Liam Coen as head coach. However, after initial fears that Spytek could bolt for Tampa Bay, he officially signed his five-year contract with Las Vegas on Friday.
Unfortunately for the club, the Raiders coaching search has been even more turbulent. With Tom Brady having a heavy influence on the decision, Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel were viewed as the top Raiders coaching candidates. Vrabel took the head coaching job in New England while Johnson accepted the Bears’ coaching vacancy after seemingly eyeing it for a year. Now, there’s a new front-runner for Las Vegas.
- Pete Carroll coaching record: 170-120-1 as head coach
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According to NFL insider Josina Anderson. former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has emerged as the leader in the Current Raiders coaching search. The process is still ongoing, though, with Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnulolo also in the mix for Las Vegas,
Carroll has already interviewed with the Raiders and is reportedly becoming more popular among club officials as the search continues. If Las Vegas wanted to meet with and later hire Spagnuolo, it would need to wait until after the Chiefs’ season ends.
- Steve Spagnuolo coaching record: 11-41 with the St. Louis Rams and New York Giants
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Carroll, age 73, was viewed as a potential option to become the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator until the team brought back Robert Saleh. Spagnuolo, who has been instrumental in the Chiefs’ dynasty, turned 65 in December and if hired would be a full-time head coach for the first time since 2009-’11 with the Rams.