The Las Vegas Raiders oversaw a patient, thorough process this offseason when searching for Pete Carroll's successor at head coach. After examining more than a dozen candidates, the Raiders ultimately hired Klint Kubiak. Coach Kubiak was coming off a Super Bowl LX win as the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator, and early indications are his appointment was a wise decision.
Kubiak's leaguewide reputation speaks for itself. The Athletic recently unveiled their annual "50 under 40" list, compiling a list of rising coaches, executives and strategists who are redefining the NFL. Unsurprisingly, Kubiak made the cut.
"Kubiak begins his first stint as a head coach after a storybook 2025 Seahawks season that featured a Super Bowl win and the resurgence
of quarterback Sam Darnold, with whom Kubiak partnered in his first season as Seattle’s offensive coordinator," Jourdan Rodridgue and Mike Jones wrote. "Kubiak’s offseason was almost as exciting: He accepted the head coaching job and the Raiders drafted Heisman Trophy-winning QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick. The start to Kubiak’s Raiders tenure will be highlighted by his strategy for the long-term development of the young quarterback. He is the son of former NFL head coach Gary Kubiak."
The Raiders have every reason to believe Kubiak was the right hire. He'll continue developing Mendoza at quarterback while being patient with the process. Kubiak won't rush Mendoza after naming Kirk Cousins the Week 1 starter.
Elsewhere on the list, Raiders director of college scouting Brandon Yeargan also made the cut. "Forward-thinking and respected by his peers, Yeargan will be asked to help evolve the Raiders’ team-building and scouting infrastructure with the support of GM John Spytek."
The Raiders need as many bright minds in the building as possible to help accelerate this rebuild.
.@JourdanRodrigue and @ByMikeJones do a great job with this list every year. A venerable who's who across the NFL https://t.co/tlD4GsriIn
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) September 1, 2026
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders HC Klint Kubiak makes prestigious "50 under 40" list
