Raiders' Top HC Targets After Pete Carroll Firing amid Tom Brady, John Spytek's Search

Having already secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the Las Vegas Raiders are setting this up to be a more pivotal offseason after firing head coach Pete Carroll.

The franchise announced Monday it fired Carroll after just one season on the job.

Between finishing 3-14, needing a new long-term solution at quarterback, and having a disgruntled Maxx Crosby, the signs are pointing toward a total rebuild in Sin City. It's difficult to picture the Raiders making another win-now play like they did with Carroll.

Assuming that's the case, these three candidates make sense.

Robert Saleh

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Robert Saleh only had a 20-36 record in his three and a half years as head coach of the New York Jets. With the benefit of hindsight, he looks even more like the victim of circumstances beyond his control and predating his arrival in 2021.

Having seamlessly transitioned back to his old defensive coordinator gig with the San Francisco 49ers, perhaps Saleh is one of those coaches who's simply more suited for that role than being a head coach.

But the 46-year-old has undoubtedly boosted his stock with the Niners.

Although San Francisco ranked 20th in yards allowed (340.2 per game), stars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner combined to appear in just nine games. Were it not for Saleh's influence, the unit could've fared far worse.

If the Raiders actually want to keep Crosby around, hiring a proven defensive coach would go a long way toward getting him back on board.

Jesse Minter

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Targeting a first-time head coach who specializes on defense doesn't exactly match up if the Raiders intend to take a quarterback with the No. 1 pick.

But DeMeco Ryans had the same profile and that didn't stop him from putting the foundation around C.J. Stroud to make the first-round pick a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2023.

The Los Angeles Chargers had the top-ranked scoring defense in Jesse Minter's first season as the coordinator, and they've followed up by boasting a top-10 defense in both points and yardage in 2025.

Before returning to the NFL ranks, Minter was also the architect of an elite defense that helped propel Michigan to a national title in 2023.

The 42-year-old will probably have a willing suitor if he's ready to make the next step up.

Kevin Stefanski

AP Photo/Matt Freed

Like Saleh, Kevin Stefanski would be an NFL coaching retread, yet there's enough reason to think his fortunes will improve in a new setting.

Beyond the organizational dysfunction plaguing the Cleveland Browns since their return in 1999, the Deshaun Watson trade has been a spectacular failure with far-reaching consequences.

Here's who has finished as the Browns' leading passer across each of the past four seasons: Jacoby Brissett, Joe Flacco, Jameis Winston and Shedeur Sanders. Watson hasn't stayed healthy and his massive $230 million contract is a millstone on the payroll.

While he wasn't faultless for Cleveland's on-field struggles, it's tough to picture a head coach performing dramatically better than Stefanski did.

After that experience, he may be hesitant jump to a team that has been just as inconsistent over the last two decades. That shouldn't stop the Raiders from making a strong sales pitch to him this offseason.