Why the Raiders got it right this time hiring Kubiak

HENDERSON, Nev. — What do our parents always teach us? Learn from your mistakes.

The Las Vegas Raiders and owner Mark Davis appear to have gotten the memo.

Tuesday, the Raiders introduced Klint Kubiak, a 38-year-old offensive guru and Super Bowl champion as their new head coach after he was officially named the team’s latest head coach on Monday. He replaces Pete Carroll, a 74-year-old defensive guru and Super Bowl champion. Both coached in Seattle, both got their ring while with the Seahawks.

But that’s where the difference ends.

The Raiders needed to get younger. They needed someone more in sync with modern football the way it is being played and coached in the second quarter of the 21st Century. They needed someone who can work with, not resist general manager John Spytek. And they needed someone who can develop their next quarterback, most likely Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.

Kubiak checks all of those boxes. Especially when it comes to working with quarterbacks. And that’s why this is a good hire. He may not be an eloquent speaker or witty like Petey was, but if Kubiak can get the Raiders to win, does it really matter?

I like that the Raiders took their time, did their homework, interviewed a wide range of candidates, let Spytek lead the search, make sure everyone was on the same page with the decision and then threw their support behind the call to bring Kubiak on board. No knee-jerk actions. No “Patriot Way” or some other nonsense. No fretting over head coaching experience of lack of it. It was all about making sure that end the end, they go the guy they wanted, and needed to turn this franchise around.

For what it’s worth, Kubiak said all the right things Tuesday, from thanking Raiders legends like Marcus Allen, Charles Woodson, Howie Long, Mike Haynes, Jim Plunkett and Rich Gannon sharing the dais with him, to Spytek for having the faith in him to hire him as a first-time head coach, to promising a tough, physical brand of football from his team to being grateful to all those who helped him along the way to get to this moment.

I’m sure he has a sense of humor and we’ll see it come out at some point. But Tuesday was a day for honesty and straightforwardness, and there’s nothing wrong in that. Besides, what would you rather see from him, a guy who wins the press conference but goes 3-14 on the field? Or someone who tried to get comfortable in his new role but will be best suited wearing a headset on the sidelines and figuring out how to win come Sunday?

You may think the Silver and Black have been down this road before when they selected Josh McDaniels in 2022. Like Kubiak, McDaniels had made his name as a play-caller, an offensive mind who teamed with Tom Brady to win six Super Bowls.

The difference? McDaniels had previous head coaching experience and it didn’t go well for him when he was in charge of the Denver Broncos. And things certainly didn’t work out for him in his year-plus in Las Vegas. Kubiak is in charge for the first time. I look at his hire much like the ones in Chicago with Ben Johnson, with Liam Coen in Jacksonville, young guys who are attuned to modern-day football, can relate to today’s players and have spent years honing their craft to prepare for the opportunity to be an NFL head coach.

“The NFL is all about competing,” Kubiak said. “With the resources in this building, Mr. Davis has set us up for success. Now we have to go out and earn it.”

How can you not like what Kubiak did with Sam Darnold, a journeyman quarterback who finally achieved the ultimate success after coming up short with the Jets, Panthers, 49ers and Vikings? Kubiak himself has gone from team to team — Vikings, Broncos, 49ers, Saints —as he honed his craft before it all came together for him with the Seahawks, a team that had a dominant defense and enough weapons on offense to give Kubiak a chance to contribute to Seattle’s success.

He’s going to enjoy coaching running back Ashton Jeanty in Las Vegas. He’s going to love working with tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. He’ll look to make receivers Tre Tucker, Dont’e Thornton and Jack Bech more productive. And whoever he gets to coach the Raiders’ offensive line will get some talent to work with, assuming they can stay healthy, along with whoever the team drafts and signs in free agency.

I don’t know if he’ll get to coach Maxx Crosby. The latest rumors have the All-Pro edge rusher wanting out of Las Vegas and we’ll see if that turns out to be the case. But that’s Spytek’s call to make. If Crosby is here, I’m sure Kubiak will be excited to work with him. If he leaves, you’ve got to believe the Raiders will receive some assets in return that will make them an improved team at some point.

Kubiak said he talked to Crosby Tuesday morning and looked forward to more conversations going forward. We’ll see if that manifests itself into a relationship that keeps Crosby a Raider long-term.

Kubiak reportedly has a five-year deal in place. That’s longer than Carroll had, which was three years. If he and Spytek develop a working chemistry and can see things in the same prism this will work. If it doesn’t, then we’re looking at yet more change, probably at the GM’s office.

But I believe these two will get along, work together for the betterment of the franchise and ultimately get it right.

Davis is sure hoping he got it right. He is now paying five, count ‘em five head coaches — Jon Gruden ($10 million), McDaniels ($10 million), Antonio Pierce ($8 Million), Carroll ($16 million) and now, Kubiak, whose deal is reportedly in the range of $75 million over the five years. In addition, the Raiders are paying Chip Kelly, who was Carroll’s former offensive coordinator, $6 million. That’s a lot of money to spend on people who are no longer in your employ. But if the investment in Kubiak ultimately pays off with the Raiders making it back to the Super Bowl, a place they last visited in 2003, it will have been worth it.