Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak confirms he’s new Raiders head coach

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak confirmed he will be the next Las Vegas Raiders head coach during an on-field interview Sunday night following Seattle’s 29-13 victory over New England in the Super Bowl.

“You guys know I’m going to Las Vegas,” Kubiak told NFL Network. “I’m fired up about it. … Of course, I’m going.”

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Kubiak and the Raiders began working toward finalizing an agreement a week ago for him to take the job, a person with knowledge of the discussions said at the time.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no contract was in place and no announcement could be made until after the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California.

Just after the Super Bowl, as it turned out.

The 38-year-old Kubiak will be the third coach in three seasons for the Raiders and fifth full-time leader since they moved to Las Vegas in 2020. He succeeds Pete Carroll, who went 3-14 in one season in Las Vegas after a storied run with Seattle that included two Super Bowl appearances and one championship.

Kubiak likely will be counted on to mold Fernando Mendoza, who led Indiana to the national championship, into the franchise quarterback the organization has long sought. The Raiders own the top pick in this year’s draft, and they are expected to use that selection on the Heisman Trophy winner.

The front office has more than $91 million in salary cap space to surround Mendoza with talent, the second-highest amount in the league, according to overthecap.com.

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It was Kubiak’s work with Sam Darnold that got the Raiders’ attention. Darnold, taken third overall by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL draft, had been considered a bust until leading Minnesota to a 14-win season in 2024. But the Vikings moved on from Darnold, and he proved that season was no fluke, winning 14 games in the regular season with Seattle and three more in the playoffs to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Kubiak’s father, Gary, coached Denver to the Super Bowl title in the 2015 seasons, and he played quarterback for the Broncos from 1983-91. Gary and Klint Kubiak will be the 10th father-son pair to serve as NFL head coaches, including interim coaches.

Kubiak also has two brothers who are on staffs of other NFL teams — Klay with San Francisco and Klein with Dallas. Klay Kubiak, the 49ers’ offensive coordinator, also interviewed with the Raiders.

The Raiders have been searching for a path back to their glory days. Three Lombardi Trophies sit in the team’s facility, but the Raiders haven’t won a playoff game since their last Super Bowl appearance in the 2002 season. They have made the postseason just twice since then, most recently in the 2021 season.

Owner Mark Davis, frustrated at the lack of success, put the search in the hands of minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek.

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