Six legendary Raiders were brought out one at a time, representing the franchise’s storied past: four are in the Hall of Fame and five have Super Bowl rings. Each of the six had moments of greatness to their name.
Before Klint Kubiak was formally introduced as Las Vegas’ new head coach on Tuesday, three alumni sat to his left and three to his right, with general manager John Spytek centered and the team’s three Lombardi Trophies on display behind them.
Marcus Allen, Rich Gannon, Mike Haynes, Howie Long, Jim Plunkett and Charles Woodson kept stern, game-ready expressions as if kickoff were imminent — a fitting backdrop given what Kubiak has been asked to do: bridge the present roster to the franchise’s celebrated history.
The Raiders haven’t won a playoff game since their last Super Bowl season in 2002 and have reached the postseason only twice since, most recently in 2021. Kubiak becomes the fifth full-time head coach since the club relocated to Las Vegas in 2020.
Kubiak acknowledged the weight of the job — “this is the silver and black,” he said — and noted he left Seattle just two days after serving as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator for their Super Bowl run. He also plans to take a day to enjoy Seattle’s championship parade before diving into Raiders business.
That business will include assembling a coaching staff (notably offensive and defensive coordinators), making decisions about the No. 1 overall draft pick, and managing more than $91 million in salary-cap room, per OverTheCap. Another immediate issue is the situation surrounding star edge rusher Max Crosby.
Kubiak said it’s early in the process of hiring assistants and evaluating the roster and stopped short of confirming the widely circulated expectation that Las Vegas will select Heisman-winning QB Fernando Mendoza with the top pick. Owner Mark Davis, who watched Mendoza play in Miami Gardens alongside Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady, indicated the organization is strongly considering the Indiana star and prefers a head coach with an offensive background who can “grow with someone.” “In my mind, I started thinking that’s the direction we want to go,” Davis said, while adding Mendoza would still need to earn the job amid other candidates.
A key selling point for Kubiak was his recent work with quarterback Sam Darnold. This season Darnold completed 67.7% of his throws for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Once labeled a bust after being taken third overall by the Jets in 2018, Darnold revived his career by leading Minnesota to a 14-win season in 2024 and then helping the Seahawks to 14 more victories, culminating in a Super Bowl title.
Spytek said the front office took care and time to find the right leader given the unique challenges of this offseason — the top draft pick combined with new head-coach leadership. “We wanted the right person to lead this organization forward,” he said.
Crosby’s future was an obvious topic during the introductions. Reports said the Pro Bowl pass rusher wanted out after missing the final two games last season and was not interested in a rebuild. Still, Crosby was in the building when Kubiak arrived — he didn’t sit in the team room during the news conference, but the two met for coffee. “We want him to be a part of our future success,” Kubiak said. Owner Davis added, “Max was a great, great Raider. He’s a great Raider.”
Fan Take: This hiring matters because the Raiders are at a crossroads — armed with the No. 1 pick, significant cap space and a hungry fan base, the right coach could reset the franchise’s trajectory. If Kubiak can develop the quarterback they draft and keep core playmakers like Max Crosby, it could reshape division dynamics and signal a broader trend toward quick rebuilds powered by coaching continuity in the NFL.
