HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders officially announced Monday that Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak will be their next head coach.
Kubiak arrived in Las Vegas on Monday following Sunday’s 29-13 Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots.
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Problems faced by Kubiak after taking over include:
— Who will he hire as his offensive and defensive coordinators?
If Kubiak brings coaches from Seattle, he could consider quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko as offensive coordinator and Aden Durde as defensive coordinator. Obviously, this is a promotion for Janoko, although Kubiak will likely call the shots. Dude is a fullback for the Seahawks, but he has the opportunity to completely dominate the defense, unlike in Seattle where coach Mike McDonald asked to play on that side of the ball.
— What should defensive end Maxx Crosby do?
Two NFL reporters say the Raiders’ star pass rusher wants out. He wasn’t happy with being placed on injured reserve with two games remaining last season and may not be interested in trying to rebuild again. Crosby told Colin Cowherd’s Herd that he made no such remarks, but he also didn’t deny that he wanted out.
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The Raiders could gain something by trading the 28-year-old Crosby, and maybe even speed up their rebuild. Dallas acquired two first-rounders and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark by sending Micah Parsons to Green Bay.
— How will he prepare for free agency and the draft?
With Las Vegas possessing the No. 1 pick and more than $91 million in salary cap space, according to overthecap.com, the Raiders have a chance to significantly upgrade their roster. They will almost certainly use the No. 1 pick on Fernando Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy and led Indiana to the national championship.
But the Raiders need to surround Mendoza with more talent than they currently have on the roster. Their first priorities will likely be improving the offensive line and finding a No. 1 wide receiver. The defense has no glaring weaknesses but could use help on all sides of the ball.
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Kubiak, 38, confirmed he was heading to Las Vegas during a live interview with NFL Network after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl on Sunday. Not that this was a surprise.
Kubiak and the Raiders began working more than a week ago to finalize a deal for him to take the job, a person briefed on the discussions said at the time. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no contract has been signed and no announcement can be made until after the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California.
He will be the Raiders’ third coach in three seasons and fifth full-time leader since moving to Las Vegas in 2020. He replaces Pete Carroll, who went 3-14 in one season in Las Vegas after a legendary run with Seattle that included two Super Bowl appearances and a championship.
The Raiders have been looking for a path back to their glory days. The team has three Lombardi Trophies in its facility, but the Raiders have not won a playoff game since their last trip to the Super Bowl during the 2002 season. Since then, they have made the playoffs just twice, most recently in the 2021 season.
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