Levi’s Stadium holds special significance for Gary Kubiak and his family — it’s where he coached the Denver Broncos to Super Bowl 50, and a decade later his eldest son, Klint, was part of a Super Bowl-winning staff for the Seattle Seahawks. This Sunday in Santa Clara the Kubiak family will add another chapter: Klint, 39, will be making his first start as the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach opposite his brother Klay, 38, who is San Francisco’s offensive coordinator. Their youngest brother, Klein, 35, will be in the press box scouting as a member of the Dallas Cowboys’ staff ahead of San Francisco’s Week 10 game.
Gary never planned for all three sons to work in the NFL, but coaching was woven into their childhood. While Gary was Denver’s offensive coordinator (1995–2005) under Mike Shanahan, the boys spent much of their time around practices, meetings and camps. Gary’s own résumé includes time as John Elway’s backup, multiple Super Bowl titles as an assistant and a head-coaching stint with the Houston Texans that produced 63 wins — but perhaps his proudest legacy is the football-minded family he raised.
Each son has followed a different path shaped by that upbringing. Klint, now regarded as one of the league’s bright offensive minds, initially resisted coaching until exposure to Texans draft meetings in 2009 changed his thinking. After playing at Colorado State, he worked as an offensive quality-control coach, was a graduate assistant at Texas A&M, then held NFL and college roles in Denver, Minnesota, New Orleans and Seattle before being hired as Las Vegas’ head coach. Former colleagues praise his relentless work ethic and attention to detail; coaches who worked with him say he pushed players and staff relentlessly and thoughtfully. Raiders GM John Spytek and players such as Kirk Cousins and Maxx Crosby applaud Klint’s consistency, accountability and clear communication.
Klay’s route leaned toward teaching and player development. A former quarterback at Colorado State who earned a master’s in English at TCU, he spent several years coaching at Houston’s Strake Jesuit school before moving to the NFL at his father’s recommendation. He joined the 49ers’ staff in 2021 and rose from defensive quality-control to assistant quarterbacks coach, then to offensive coordinator in 2025. He’s been on the radar for head-coaching openings but has stayed with Kyle Shanahan and helped San Francisco build a top-tier offense.
Klein chose the scouting and personnel side. A Rice receiver from 2010–13 who once played under David Beaty, Klein interned in the Texans’ salary-cap department, then moved into personnel work with the Broncos before taking scouting roles and later joining the Cowboys. He values the rare experience of sharing the war-room environment with family during the Broncos’ 2016 season, calling it a special professional and personal bond.
Throughout their careers, the brothers say Gary’s example was formative: he coached the same way at home as he did on the job, emphasized doing the work for the right reasons and showed them leadership could be authentic rather than performative. Gary has stayed close — Klint says they speak daily — and treasured the times they coached together in Minnesota and Denver, moments that allowed him to watch his sons grow into their careers.
Fan Take: This matchup underlines how coaching trees and family legacies keep shaping the NFL — the Kubiaks’ presence on both sidelines makes Sundays more than a game, it’s a continuity of mentorship and football culture. For fans, it highlights that coaching hires are about more than Xs and Os; they reflect upbringing, relationships and the next generation carrying the sport forward.
Source: www.espn.com
