A New Hope for Raider Nation: LaFleur, Kubiak, and Webb Emerge as Top Head Coach Candidates

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The Las Vegas Raiders are at a crossroads. After years of turmoil and false starts, this head coaching hire needs to be a lightning bolt – a bold move that reinvigorates the franchise from the ground up. Rather than casting a wide net, I’ve zeroed in on three dynamic contenders who each bring a unique blend of coaching potential, schematic fit, and culture-building upside. These are the candidates that make my heart race and my mind churn: Mike LaFleur, Klint Kubiak, and Davis Webb.

Why only these three? Because Raider Nation deserves a coach who can either mastermind a modern offense (LaFleur), carry on a family legacy of winning football (Kubiak), or galvanize the locker room with rare leadership (Webb). This is an emotionally charged, gut-check analysis – with my own internal debate laid bare. My gut screams Davis Webb (the charismatic leader with infinite upside), while my head points to Klint Kubiak and Mike LaFleur (the experienced play-callers with proven pedigree). Let’s dive into each, and why they stand out as the true hopefuls to revive the Silver & Black.

Mike LaFleur – The Shanahan/McVay Disciple Ready to Blaze His Own Path

Mike LaFleur, 38, might technically share a last name with the Green Bay coach (yes, he’s Matt LaFleur’s brother), but he’s built his own reputation as an offensive whiz kid. LaFleur has logged over a decade in the NFL, including five straight seasons as an offensive coordinator (2021-2025) – first with the New York Jets and then with the Los Angeles Rams. In fact, he’s uniquely accomplished: the only coach ever to serve as a coordinator under both Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. That dual lineage means he’s fluent in two of the most creative offensive languages in football. If the Raiders want an offensive reboot that blends Shanahan’s run-game genius with McVay’s passing ingenuity, LaFleur offers the best of both worlds.

Despite a rough patch with a talent-poor Jets offense, LaFleur’s time with the Rams has rehabilitated his image. Working alongside McVay in 2023–2025, he helped revitalize a Rams unit that turned unheralded players into playmakers. (Case in point: under LaFleur’s watch, a little-known running back like Kyren Williams blossomed into a 1,000-yard rusher and All-Pro caliber weapon.) LaFleur introduced creative personnel packages – even heavy 3–tight end sets – to maximize physicality and confuse defenses. It’s easy to imagine him scheming Raiders stars Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers into mismatches and easy yards.

• Strengths: Proven offensive play-caller with five years of coordinator experience at a young age. Tutored by elite coaches (Shanahan and McVay) – he carries their innovative schemes in his DNA. Reputation for player development, turning under-the-radar talent into key contributors (a testament to his teaching ability and creativity). Brings a disciplined, detail-oriented approach – something the Raiders offense sorely needs.
• Weaknesses: His Jets tenure (2021–2022) was bumpy – the offense struggled mightily, raising concerns about his ability to succeed without top-tier talent at quarterback. He’s never been a head coach, so leadership of an entire locker room remains untested. Some wonder if his success in Los Angeles is largely due to McVay’s influence (is he the driver of offensive success or just along for the ride?).
• Upside: LaFleur could be a home-run hire if he brings the full weight of the Shanahan/McVay philosophy to Vegas. Imagine a Raiders offense with modern motion, play-action heavy designs and adaptability to personnel – LaFleur offers that vision. Long-term, he could become our version of Sean McVay: a young head coach who grows into a perennial contender by marrying X’s and O’s brilliance with a solid culture. If he hits his ceiling, LaFleur would not only rejuvenate the Raiders offense, he’d establish a sustainable program where players thrive and innovate within a clear system.

Klint Kubiak – The Coach’s Son with a Modern Offense and Old-School Grit

At 38, Klint Kubiak carries a last name that resonates with Super Bowl rings. He’s the son of former Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak – meaning Klint was quite literally raised in the film room. Don’t mistake him as just riding on family legacy, though. This Kubiak has forged his own credentials across multiple teams and learned from some of the best minds in the game. He served as offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 and the New Orleans Saints in 2024, and in between he had stints assisting Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco and even stepping in as a play-caller for the Denver Broncos. Most recently, he’s the offensive coordinator who helped engineer the Seattle Seahawks’ stunning turnaround in 2025. Under a new head coach in Seattle, Kubiak’s offense powered the Seahawks to the No. 1 seed in the NFC and an NFC Championship appearance. In other words, his stock is sky-high right now.

Kubiak’s appeal is that he brings a balanced West Coast/Shanahan-style offense (no surprise given his upbringing in Gary Kubiak’s system which is a branch of the Shanahan tree). He emphasizes a strong zone running game married with play-action and bootlegs – the kind of scheme that could maximize the Raiders’ personnel on offense. Perhaps even more intriguing, league insiders have identified Klint Kubiak as a “prime candidate” for the Raiders job after an impressively strong first interview. He blew away the interviewers with his vision, and multiple sources say he’s at the top of the list for the job. There’s a meticulous, almost cerebral quality to Kubiak’s approach (picture a coach who sleeps in the facility breaking down film like it’s a science), but also a steadiness reminiscent of his dad’s no-nonsense leadership. After the chaos the Raiders have been through, Kubiak’s mix of youthful innovation and old-school steadiness is very attractive.

• Strengths: Multi-team coordinator experience – he’s designed and called plays for different rosters (Vikings, Saints, Seahawks), proving he can adapt his system to talent. Steeped in the Shanahan/Kubiak zone-run offense, which would bring schematic continuity for a franchise that should lean on its run game. By all accounts, an excellent interviewer and prepared leader – his first interview with Vegas was reportedly “strong,” instantly making him the front-runner. Having grown up around NFL locker rooms, he has a natural feel for culture-building and the respect it takes to lead veterans (Gary Kubiak was beloved by players, and Klint carries that same DNA of treating players the right way). He’s also shown he can develop quarterbacks – even reclamation projects. (In Seattle, he helped revive Sam Darnold’s career, guiding him to perhaps his best football.)
• Weaknesses: Like LaFleur, Kubiak has never been a head coach, so the learning curve of managing an entire team would be steep. Some of his past coordinator stints were short-lived – for instance, New Orleans let him go after one year when the head coach was fired. That raises questions: can he maintain success without the rug being pulled out from under him? Also, while his last season in Seattle was a hit, his 2021 Vikings offense was middle-of-the-pack and his interim play-calling in Denver (2022) struggled; consistency is still something to prove.
• Upside: Kubiak has been around success his whole life, and it shows. If he can replicate the offensive prowess he just showed in Seattle, the Raiders could quickly field a top-10 offense under his leadership. His long-term upside is to become a Mike Shanahan-esque figure for Las Vegas – an offensive guru who also commands deep loyalty from his players. With Klint, the Silver and Black could get the best of both worlds: youthful offensive innovation plus a stabilizing presence. Over time, that could mean sustained playoff runs and a team identity that finally sticks. He’s a candidate who checks the technical boxes and brings a winning pedigree that could reset the Raiders’ course for years to come.

Davis Webb – The Raw Leader with Sky-High Upside and the Raider Soul

Now for the wildcard – the candidate that my gut loves unabashedly: Davis Webb. If LaFleur and Kubiak are polished products of NFL royalty, Webb is the maverick outsider who could become the Raiders’ ultimate culture-changer. He’s just 31 years old – not much older than some active players – and his NFL playing career only ended in 2022. On paper, Webb’s resume looks absurdly thin for a head coach: he’s never been a coordinator or play-caller at any level and has only a year or two as a quarterbacks coach (most recently with the Denver Broncos as their QBs coach/passing game coordinator). By conventional logic, hiring him would be a massive leap of faith – the kind of move that makes analysts scratch their heads.

So why is his name even in this conversation? Because Davis Webb has “it.” He has something that you can’t teach – a charisma, intellect, and leadership presence that has caught the eye of people throughout the league. Despite his inexperience, Webb has been ”at the forefront of so many head coach discussions” this cycle. Coaches and teammates who know him gush that he’s a “young savant” in coaching, a prodigy of sorts. In fact, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Webb’s name is often mentioned in league circles as a viable head coaching option – even at 31. During his Raiders interview, he wowed the brass with a detailed offensive vision, a strong grasp of situational football, and a clear plan for building a staff (word is he already has top coordinators in mind from his connections under Brian Daboll and Sean Payton). Webb’s candidacy feels a bit like Sean McVay’s did in 2017 – if you believe he’s a future star, you might have to hire him a year or two before anyone thinks you should. As one insider put it, the question becomes: do you grab him now “a year early” and bet on his upside, or risk losing him to another team next year? Raider Nation has suffered through enough bland retreads; Webb represents a daring swing for the fences that, if it connects, could change our fortunes for the next decade.

Let’s talk about culture and leadership, because that’s where Webb truly shines. As a backup quarterback with the Giants and Bills, Webb was basically a coach in pads. Teammates recount how he would do advanced scouting of upcoming opponents and practically run the QB meeting room, while still a player. Former Giants lineman Jon Feliciano, who played with Webb for four years, said Webb “was the definition of a player-coach, … doing the coach’s jobs,” and boldly predicted, “I think Davis is going to be one of the best coaches in the league in the next decade. I’m not the only one.”. Those who’ve been around Webb say he just has natural leadership aura – commanding respect not by ego or title, but by effort, intelligence, and genuine care for his teammates. If there’s any young coach who could walk into an NFL locker room as a head coach at 31 and get buy-in, it might just be Davis Webb. He’s got that special sauce of relatability (he was literally in an NFL huddle 13 months ago) and authority beyond his years. Culturally, Webb could be the shot of adrenaline and unity that the fractured Raiders need. Think of how Mike Tomlin galvanized Pittsburgh at a young age, or how players would run through a wall for a coach like Dan Campbell – Webb is cut from that cloth.

• Strengths: Off-the-charts character and leadership qualities – Webb’s intangible strengths are so strong that seasoned NFL people are lining up to endorse him. He’s known for a brilliant football mind, absorbing playbooks and philosophies quickly (as a journeyman QB, he learned from coaches like Ben McAdoo, Brian Daboll, and Sean Payton, picking up diverse schemes along the way). Relates to players on a personal level – he’s young enough to understand modern player mentality, but mature enough to command respect. Webb also has a clear vision and offensive philosophy despite not being a coordinator; in interviews he reportedly laid out exactly how he’d groom a young QB and which seasoned offensive coordinator he’d bring in to support him. In short, he offers a high-upside strategic plan paired with an infectious energy.
• Weaknesses: The obvious – zero head coaching experience, minimal coaching experience overall. Hiring Webb means swallowing the fact that there will be a learning curve on game management, scheme installation, hiring a staff, you name it. Tactically, he’s never called plays in a real game; there’s a risk that he could be overwhelmed or need a lot of on-the-job training. It’s a gamble – some coaches with Webb’s profile flame out if they can’t adjust fast enough from theory to practice. In essence, his candidacy doesn’t make sense on paper, and critics will rightfully point out that many great position coaches never become successful head coaches.
• Upside: Simply put, franchise-altering. Webb has the kind of ceiling where, if he hits, you’ve got your head coach for the next 20 years – a culture-builder who could establish a new identity for the Raiders. His youth could attract other bright young assistants (imagine a cutting-edge staff rallying around an energetic leader). Also, because of his lack of experience, he’d likely lean on a strong veteran coordinator or two, which could actually be a blessing (it means the Raiders would get experienced strategists in the building alongside him). Best-case scenario, hiring Webb now is like catching Sean McVay or Mike Tomlin at the ground floor – you get the prodigy before everyone else realizes what he is. Yes, it’s a daring leap, but as Raiders minority owner Tom Brady might appreciate, no risk it, no biscuit. Webb embodies the biggest risk and potentially the biggest reward of any candidate out there.

Honorable Mention: Mike Tomlin – The Culture Reset (But Not This Year)

It would be unfair to talk about culture and leadership without mentioning the whale in the room: Mike Tomlin. In an alternate universe where timing was different, Tomlin would be the ultimate culture reset for the Raiders – a Super Bowl–winning, no-nonsense leader who instantly commands respect and accountability. After nearly two decades of never having a losing season in Pittsburgh, Tomlin’s relationship-building and motivational prowess are legendary. However, reality bites: after stepping away from the Steelers this month, Tomlin likely needs a break. He’s just wrapped up 19 grueling seasons as an NFL head coach and has earned the right to a sabbatical to recharge his batteries. Even if the thought of Tomlin prowling the Raiders sideline sends chills down my spine (in a good way), it’s probably not in the cards for an immediate fresh start. Timing is everything – and jumping straight from one long tenure into the Las Vegas pressure cooker isn’t the right move for him or the team right now. So let’s tip our cap to Coach Tomlin as the ultimate cultural fixer-upper and wish him a well-earned rest. Maybe down the line, who knows? But for this hiring cycle, the Raiders need to focus on building their own Tomlin – which brings us back to LaFleur, Kubiak, or Webb.

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Bottom Line: The Raiders have three stellar candidates, each with a different flavor of hope. Mike LaFleur offers the sharpened blade of offensive genius honed under the league’s best minds. Klint Kubiak brings a steady hand and a golden offensive pedigree, looking ready to step out of his father’s shadow and make his own mark. And Davis Webb is the lottery ticket with leadership written all over it – my heart’s choice for a franchise that needs soul more than anything. It’s a head vs. heart dilemma: the safe bets versus the big swing. But whichever direction the Raiders go among these three, one thing is certain – choosing any of them would signal a bold new era in Las Vegas. And bold is exactly what Raider Nation craves. The silver-and-black faithful are hungry for a jolt of energy, innovation, and identity. LaFleur, Kubiak, or Webb – it’s time to light the torch and let one of these men lead us forward.