As expected, the Raiders will have a new head coach in place next season. Vegas has fired Pete Carroll, per a team announcement.
Over the course of the 2025 season, it became increasingly clear Carroll’s NFL return would prove to be a one-and-done venture with respect to the Raiders. The Super Bowl winner fired a pair of coordinators in season, including the highly-compensated Chip Kelly at OC. Tension between Carroll and Kelly contributed to a highly underwhelming output on offense, something which did not tangibly improve after their split.
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Vegas won on Sunday against a Chiefs team which also had nothing to play for. That result ended a 10-game losing streak for the Raiders, but the Giants’ loss earlier in the day ensured Vegas will own the No. 1 pick in April’s draft. Selecting a quarterback first overall will no doubt become the expectation over the coming months, but before then a new head coach will need to be hired.
2025 saw general manager John Spytek brought in as part of the sweeping changes made by Vegas. He will play a leading role in the search for Carroll’s replacement. The statement issued by owner Mark Davis confirms to no surprise, though, that Tom Brady will work “in close collaboration” with Spytek on all matters of football operations. That includes the second HC search the pair will oversee.
Since moving to Vegas, the Raiders have been defined in large part by instability on the sidelines and in the front office. Jon Gruden‘s resignation has been followed by unsuccessful outside hires (Josh McDaniels, Carroll) and brief interim stints (Rich Bisaccia, Antonio Pierce) in between. Davis elected to give Pierce the full-time gig for 2024, a decision which did not pan out as hoped. Carroll represented a highly decorated replacement, but a win-now approach which included the trade acquisition of quarterback Geno Smith failed to produce the desired results. By late December, a large expectation existed that Carroll’s Vegas tenure would prove to be only one season in length.
Carroll was the oldest hire in NFL history when he joined the Raiders last winter. Now 74, his future on the sidelines will naturally be in doubt. A strong market is unlikely to exist in this case given Carroll’s relatively underwhelming end to his Seahawks tenure and his 3-14 campaign upon returning to the sidelines following a one-year absence. Carroll expressed a desire to remain with the Raiders for next season, but with that no longer an option it will be interesting to see if his coaching career will continue.
Numerous hires on the sidelines will be coming soon for the Raiders given the changes made during the campaign. Vegas joins Cleveland, Atlanta, Tennessee and the Giants as a team in need of a new head coach. The search process for Carroll’s replacement is set to begin immediately.