Things have shifted dramatically for the Las Vegas Raiders within the past 24 hours.
After holding a press conference Monday suggesting he was staying, Antonio Pierce was fired from his post as Raiders head coach on Tuesday.
With the firing, the Raiders are now looking for (counting interim head coaches) their tenth head coach in the last 16 seasons.
The hiring process will be a tricky one for general manager Tom Telesco to navigate. While the Raiders have talent headlined by Pro Bowlers Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby, the lack of a franchise quarterback will lock them out from the top tier of candidates.
The Raiders must do their due diligence as they now aim to stop the revolving door at their head coaching position. Here are five candidates that would possibly have some interest:
Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator
Raiders part-owner Tom Brady will likely lose out on Mike Vrabel to the New England Patriots, but his connections with the organization do not end there.
Flores’ tenure with the Patriots ran parallel to Brady’s, as he rose from defensive assistant to defensive coordinator in his 11 seasons with the team. He parlayed his meteoric rise into a stint with the Miami Dolphins as head coach from 2019-21.
His 24-25 record with a then-rebuilding Dolphins team was not terrible at all, and he improved the defense significantly in his time there. However, Flores also locked himself into a power struggle with the front office, and his treatment of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was not good on all fronts.
Flores has since rebounded with the Minnesota Vikings, taking a defense that struggled mightily before his hire to one of the best units in football in his two seasons there.
What Flores will need to prove is to Telesco and the Raiders is that things will be different this time around. He must be willing to work with whoever the Raiders choose to play quarterback, as well as have a functional plan on that side of the ball.
Another thing that must be taken into account (besides Flores’ ongoing lawsuit against the NFL for racial discrimination) is how Crosby will feel about the hiring. In 2023, it was revealed that Crosby told his agent to keep him from being drafted by the Dolphins while Flores was head coach, indicating some tension between the two sides.
Crosby will have to be informed of the decision if Flores is in serious consideration, and hiring the defensive coordinator means the pass rusher is either okay with the move or will be traded to kickstart a rebuilding effort.
If all issues are settled, Flores has the potential to be a home-run hire for the Raiders. That is, if the issues are settled to the team’s liking.
Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator
Whereas Flores has a connection with Brady, Moore’s candidacy is a topic of discussion due to his in with Telesco.
In 2023, Moore was brought in by Telesco to serve as offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers. Fast forward two years, and Moore could be added to the shortlist of candidates for Telesco to bring in for the Raiders.
A former quarterback for the Boise State Broncos and offensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, Moore will feel comfortable with a return out west if he chooses to leave Philadelphia after one season.
In Moore’s lone season, the Eagles have fielded a top-ten offense, headlined by the number-two rushing offense in the league behind running back Saquon Barkley. The Eagles’ offense rank eighth in total yards and seventh in total points.
Moore’s creativity in the passing game was evident from previous stops in Dallas and Los Angeles, but being able to combine that know-how with a strong rushing attack in Philadelphia has earned him praise in NFL circles.
Moore’s strong season has lifted his stock back up once again, and he has already been requested for interviews by the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints.
If the Raiders wish to tread off the beaten path and steal an under-the-radar candidate from under the noses of other teams, Moore is a sound addition.
Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator
If the Raiders do not receive much interest from the likes of Ben Johnson, Coen would serve as a strong backup plan.
A Sean McVay disciple, Coen returned to the NFL after a brief stint at the University of Kentucky, where he assisted in the development of second-round quarterback Will Levis.
In his first season calling plays for Tampa Bay, Coen has created a dynamic offense that makes the most of the talent he has at his disposal. In one year, Tampa Bay’s offense went from 20th in scoring to fourth.
Even when injuries kept receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin out, Coen shifted to a rushing-based attack. The decision paid off dramatically, with fourth-round rookie running back Bucky Irving breaking off a 1,000-yard season to headline a rushing attack that went from worst to top-three in the span of a year.
Coen’s lack of experience will certainly be a drawback, especially if the Raiders want better decision-making from their coach of choice. However, the Raiders cannot deny the need to get more dynamic on offense, which Coen has shown he can deliver.
Coen is more of a gamble than his fellow offensive-minded counterparts, but the Raiders would have no issue taking that deal.
Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator
Everywhere Monken has gone, an explosive offense has usually followed.
Monken has served as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator for two years now, and the results have been impressive. He has fielded a top-five offense in both seasons, including the best rushing attack in the league twice in a row now.
Lamar Jackson won an MVP under Monken’s tutelage and is a leading candidate to go back-to-back on the award, and this season has seen the coach seamlessly include running back Derrick Henry to form a monstrous duo in the backfield.
Despite Monken’s success with the Ravens, what will impress front offices most is his experience. Monken has served as a coach for 36 years at the collegiate and professional levels, including a head coaching stint with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. In his three years there, Monken turned a 0-12 program into a 9-5 team.
Monken also served as offensive coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs from 2020-22, helping the team win consecutive national championships in 2021 and 2022. He has also served as offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns.
For teams that want high-powered offenses without worrying about experience, Monken will be a popular choice.
Pete Carroll, former Seattle Seahawks head coach
If the Raiders value head coaching experience and want to bring a winner at the NFL level in, Carroll will be the best candidate they have to choose from.
There is no denying Carroll’s credentials as a head coach, as he is one of only three head coaches to win a national championship and a Super Bowl (Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer are the other two).
After Carroll dominated with the University of Southern California throughout the 2000s, the Seahawks gave him another crack at being an NFL head coach in 2010. The decision paid off, as Carroll guided the Seahawks to becoming one of the most consistent teams in the league.
The apex of Carroll’s success was in 2013, when he rode the defense led by the vaunted Legion of Boom secondary and sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson to a Super Bowl victory over the Denver Broncos.
Carroll was let go by the Seahawks in 2023 and was out of football this past season, but he is eyeing a return to the sidelines and has already been circled by teams like the Chicago Bears.
Carroll’s ability to get the best out of his players on both sides of the ball is something the Raiders need at the moment, and he would be a great choice if the interest is mutual.
