Scott Gulbransen
Why Don’t the Las Vegas Raiders Have a Quarterbacks Coach in 2026? Kubiak’s staff is set — and the elephant in the room is who isn’t on it
The Las Vegas Raiders officially announced Klint Kubiak’s full coaching staff on Sunday, and there’s plenty to like about what he put together. There’s also one thing missing that nobody seems to want to talk about directly.
The announcement included that the team did not hire a quarterbacks coach. On a staff that is almost certainly going to be responsible for developing Fernando Mendoza, the consensus No. 1 overall pick and the most important player this franchise has drafted since JaMarcus Russell in 2007, there is no dedicated quarterback coach.
Let that sit for a second. But is it a big deal? Really?
Raiders Aren’t Concerned Despite Curiosity Around Omission
Klint Kubiak’s staff missing a quarterbacks coach might make headlines amongst the media and even raise questions from fans, but the organization doesn’t seem concerned. Andrew Janocko, the new offensive coordinator, was the Seahawks’ QB coach last season. Mike McCoy, the assistant head coach, worked with Cam Ward in Tennessee. The thinking is that between Kubiak, Janocko, and McCoy, Mendoza will have enough hands on deck. Vincent Bonsignore reported that the team looked at candidates and just didn’t find the right fit. They’d rather wait than force a hire.
Maybe that’s right. We’ll find out in September.
Everything else about this staff makes sense for what Kubiak is trying to build.
Raiders Offensive Staff
Janocko is the right call at OC. He and Kubiak have worked together in Seattle and their philosophies are completely aligned. He’s not going to freelance or fight with the head coach over play-calling. He’s an extension of Kubiak in the meeting room, which is exactly what a first-year head coach needs. Rick Dennison as offensive line coach is a significant hire that hasn’t gotten enough attention. The man has been in the NFL for 30 years, knows the wide zone system Kubiak will employ inside and out, and has known the Kubiak family since Klint was a kid. If this offensive line is going to become something, Dennison is a big reason why.
Zach Azzanni comes in to coach a thin wide receivers room that will almost certainly be bolstered in the NFL Draft and free agency. He’s spent the last nine seasons in the NFL with Pittsburgh, the Jets, Denver, and Chicago. He knows how to develop young receivers, which matters for a room that will need some serious additions. Luke Steckel stays on as tight ends coach, which is smart. Brock Bowers is the best player on this offense and continuity at that position makes sense.
McCoy, as assistant head coach, is the veteran insurance policy for the first-time head coach. He spent four seasons as head coach of the Chargers, has decades of NFL experience, and a specific skill set in working with young quarterbacks. The fact that he handled Ward last season and now lands with Mendoza is either a good omen or the universe has a sense of humor.
The Raiders Defensive Staff
Rob Leonard gets his shot as defensive coordinator after three seasons coaching the defensive line in Las Vegas. He’s never called plays at this level and that’s the real risk on this staff — not the missing QB coach. Whether Leonard can translate his football intelligence into actual in-game decision making is the big question. His background under Mike MacDonald and Brian Flores gives him the blueprint. The staff around him is solid, with Joe Woods as pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach. Woods has been a defensive coordinator in this league and brings the kind of experience that Leonard can lean on when things get complicated. Al Holcomb joins as senior defensive assistant, another veteran voice in the room. Travis Smith handles the defensive line. Ronell Williams takes linebackers, which will matter a lot once Leonard starts trying to fill that position group in free agency.
Raiders Special Teams
Joe DeCamillis has been around forever and has a Kubiak connection from when he ran special teams for the Broncos under Gary Kubiak, who won the Super Bowl in Denver, and for the Rams’ Super Bowl team. He’s 60 years old and has seen everything you can imagine in this league. For a team that’s going to be young in a lot of places, having someone that experienced running the third phase matters more than people realize.
The Bottom Line
This is a staff built around two ideas: loyalty and experience with youth. Kubiak brought in his guys — Janocko, Dennison, the McCoy connection — and surrounded his young coordinators with veterans who have been through big moments. Leonard gets Holcomb and Woods. Kubiak gets McCoy and Dennison. The skeleton of this thing is sound.
But Mendoza is going to walk into a building this spring without a quarterback coach waiting for him. That’s either a non-issue or it’s a real problem, and we won’t know which until we see how his rookie season unfolds. For a franchise that has botched the development of young quarterbacks at nearly every turn, it’s a detail worth watching.
Raider Nation has reason to feel good about this staff. Having just a few big question marks isn’t a surprise, but with the Raiders history over the past several decades, the league will remain skeptical until proven wrong.
