It may only have been one season, but it should surprise absolutely no one that the Las Vegas Raiders chose to move on from head coach Pete Carroll on Black Monday. It was always an odd fit, a 74-year-old Super Bowl champion desperate for one last playoff run going to a team that had reached the postseason exactly twice since 2002. And sure enough, it was an abject disaster, both on the field and off of it.
Now, it's back to the drawing board yet again, and there are far more questions than answers. Exactly who's calling the shots here, between majority owner Mark Davis, minority owner Tom Brady and GM John Spytek? Will this franchise ever be able to formulate and stick to a coherent plan? And what the heck is the solution at quarterback? Those questions and more need to be answered quickly by any of these potential Carroll replacements.
Jesse Minter, Chargers defensive coordinator
Minter has more than hit the ground running in his first two years as a defensive coordinator at the NFL level, consistently doing more with a Chargers roster that isn't exactly overflowing with impact talent on that side of the ball. And it's hard not to respect his resume: He cut his teeth alongside Mike Macdonald as a Ravens assistant in the late 2010s, then succeeded Macdonald as the DC at Michigan for two years — the latter of which resulted in a perfect season and a national title.
He's a favortite branch of the Harbaugh coaching tree, and his success with the Wolverines should earn him a bit of favor with Brady as the former Michigan quarterback asks around. He's just 42 years old, and he's never served as a head coach at any level. Then again, both of those things were also true of Macdonald, and he's worked out pretty well in Seattle. The man knows how to coach, as well as how to identify and develop talent, and he's spent pretty much his entire career around two preeminent program-builders. He'd instantly bring a level of seriousness the Raiders haven't seen in quite some time.
Brian Flores, Vikings defensive coordinator
Flores began his football career as a scouting assistant with the Patriots in the mid-2000s, then steadily worked his way up the ranks until he served as defensive coordinator under Bill Belichick from 2016-18. Given that New England won two Super Bowls and appeared in another over that three-year span, it feels safe to assume that Brady already has a positive impression.
Of course, that's not even touching on the work he's done since he left Foxboro, first as head coach of the Dolphins — where he posted winning records in each of his final two seasons before being controversially canned — and then as defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota has finished in the top four in EPA per play in each of the last two years, a testament to Flores' ability to build solid defenses despite personnel turnover (and despite some real offensive dysfunction this season).
Flores gets his players to play hard for him, he's been around quality defense wherever he's been and he should be Brady approved. We should be careful not to overstate how good he was in his first go-around as a head man in Miami, but he still checks a lot of boxes.
Klint Kubiak, Seahawks offensive coordinator
Kubiak doesn't come with a built-in Brady connection, but he has done pretty impressive work as a play-caller both with the Saints in 2024 and with the Seahawks this season. He's also spent decades learning under his Super Bowl champion dad, Gary, and the Shanahan coaching tree, so while there is some risk in turning the keys over to a 38-year-old first-timer, he should know more than most about what it takes to lead an NFL locker room.
Of course, we don't know how he'll translate as a head coach until he does it. But the advantage of finding a scheme lord to lead your team cannot be overstated; just look at the teams still standing as we approach Wild Card weekend. If Kubiak really is the real deal as an offensive mind — and there's nothing to suggest he isn't thus far, though it's admittedly a smaller sample than you'd like — he'd give the Raiders an edge they haven't enjoyed in decades.
Chris Shula, Rams defensive coordinator
Speaking of fast-rising assistants with famous last names. After starting on Sean McVay's staff way back in 2017, Shula has served as the Rams' defensive coordinator for the last two seasons. And he's done such a good job that it's been easy to forget how wonky a depth chart he inherited on that side of the ball, and the impressive work he's done both finding talent in the draft (and on the cheap in free agency) and turning that talent into a viable unit. Given the improvement we've seen from L.A. year over year, it sure seems like he's got the schematic goods.
Whether that translates as a head coach ... there's only one way to find out, right? It bears noting that McVay has proven to be a heck of an identifier of coaching talent, and that the lessons his assistants learn tend to help them succeed with greater responsibility elsewhere. Given how bad the Raiders have been defensively since, well, forever, finding someone who can do more with less and sure seems to have leadership chops isn't the worst idea.
Thomas Brown, Patriots pass game coordinator
Now let's get to some deeper cuts that are still worthy of consideration. Brown acquitted himself well enough as Bears' interim head coach late last season that there were some calls to hand him the permanent job (though we're guessing Chicago is grateful the team eventually landed on Ben Johnson). And he's done good work under Josh McDaniel to get an MVP-caliber season out of Drake Maye as New England's pass game coordinator.
He, too, is a McVay disciple, winning a Super Bowl ring with the Rams in 2021. And for whatever it's worth, he's likely to come highly recommended should Brady get in touch with either his old OC in McDaniel or his old teammate in Mike Vrabel. He certainly seems to be a bright offensive mind, though the resume is a bit thin for a head coaching candidate.
Harold Goodwin, Panthers assistant head coach/run game coordinator
Goodwin spent five seasons as Cardinals OC under Bruce Arians in the 2010s, and has served as an assistant HC/run game coordinator in Tampa and Carolina ever since. That former stint just so happened to overlap with both Spytek and Brady, so if familiarity is a factor here, he's one to consider.
But his candidacy goes beyond mere nepotism. His track record suggests that he knows how to coach up an offensive line and design a run game; just look at the work he and Dave Canales have done with Rico Dowdle in Carolina this season. At 52, he's been around the block, and he could be worth a longer look.