Pete Carroll is believed to have studied potential successor options in the event he landed a head coaching job. A familiar name has surfaced for the team’s second-most important coaching role.
Darrell Bevell is believed to be the frontrunner for the Raiders’ OC position, The Athletic’s Tic Tafur and Tashan Reed report (subscription required). Bevell and Carroll coached together for seven seasons in Seattle, with that period doubling as the best in Seahawks history. Bevell served as Seahawks OC from 2011-17. The Raiders have not begun OC interviews, but it should be expected Bevell receives a request soon.
[RELATED: Russell Wilson, Sam Darnold In Play For Raiders?]
Although Carroll fired Bevell after the 2017 season, the experienced play-caller had helped Russell Wilson develop into one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. Earlier in Wilson’s career, he formed an elite tandem with Marshawn Lynch. Yes, Bevell and Carroll did collaborate on a hotly debated goal-line play call that resulted in the Seahawks blowing a chance to win a second straight Super Bowl. But Carroll kept his OC on for three more seasons post-Super Bowl XLIX. Bevell has worked as an OC twice since his Seattle stay, doing so with the Lions and Jaguars. Both teams then moved him to interim HC after firing coaches in-season.
Bevell, 55, has been the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach since 2022. This stretch has doubled as a breakthrough period for Tua Tagovailoa, even with injuries frequently slowing the talented passer. An NFL assistant since 2000, Bevell has been an OC for four teams — a five-year Vikings run from 2006-10 began his time in that job — and has 15 seasons’ worth of experience in that role. Bevell met about the Browns’ OC job this month.
Patrick Graham served as Raiders DC under both Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce, but he twice met with the Jaguars about their HC post and then completed a coordinator interview. He is viewed as a frontrunner to join Liam Coen. But Carroll will still speak with Graham about potentially staying in Las Vegas, Reed and Tafur add.
The Raiders’ defense tumbled after showing improvement in 2023. After producing the Raiders’ first top-half scoring defense finish since 2002, Graham’s unit fell from ninth to 25th from 2023-24. Granted, the Raiders’ shaky offensive situation did not put Graham’s defense in good spots. And, in terms of total defense, Graham’s troops placed 15th in each of the past two years. Graham lost out on the Bengals’ DC post earlier this month, but he has been a coaching carousel regular in recent years.
Carroll also has a past with ex-Raiders HC Tom Cable, and The Athletic indicates the new Vegas leader is interested in reuniting with his former O-line coach. Cable has already enjoyed two stints with the Raiders. The first was more memorable, as it featured him taking over for Lane Kiffin during the 2008 season and keeping the Oakland HC job through the 2010 slate. Cable went 17-27 as the Raiders’ HC, though a chunk of that time came with JaMarcus Russell at quarterback.
Cable joined Bevell in Seattle from 2011-17, serving as Seahawks O-line coach, and returned to the Raiders to work under Jon Gruden in the same capacity. Cable, 60, has not coached since spending the 2021 season with the Raiders. Reuniting the Carroll-Bevell-Cable trio on offense may not be the most inspiring route for the Raiders, but it certainly would supply experience. The Chiefs’ coaching staff continues to show important that can be. Carroll and GM John Spytek are not at the Senior Bowl presently, with Reed noting they are focusing on putting a staff together. It will certainly be interesting a Seahawks South vibe comes to fruition.