The Las Vegas Raiders are in the market for a new head coach and will explore a number of different options to find the right person to lead this team next season. Many names have already been mentioned as possibilities for the Raiders and now another name has popped up in Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
Spagnuolo has been the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator for the last six seasons, helping the team to three Super Bowl Championships including the last two. While the offense gets much of the attention, it has been the Chiefs defense that has been the dominant force over the past couple of seasons and Spagnuolo has received a lot of deserved credit.
With the Raiders looking to establish a winning culture it makes sense that the team is eyeing coordinators from the top staffs in the league and, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the team has requested to interview Spagnuolo for their head coach position:
The Raiders are requesting an interview with Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for their head-coaching spot, per sources.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 8, 2025
Spagnuolo does have some head coaching experience, but that time with the then-St. Louis Rams would likely be better off forgotten. He went just 10-38 in three seasons from 2009-2011, but has done well to rebuild his image in the years since.
The Chiefs defense has ranked in the top-10 in points allowed five of the six seasons Spagnuolo has been at the helm and his impact on their success can not be minimized. The question regarding him is whether he is simply better as a coordinator than a head coach, which his prior opportunity may suggest is the case. But the Raiders will at least bring him for an interview.
The likes of Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel have also been mentioned as possibilities for the Raiders and both have ties to minority owner Tom Brady. Spagnuolo doesn’t, but he has the pedigree and with this franchise looking to turn things around they will scour all possibilities to find the right person for the job.
Raiders fire GM Tom Telesco after one season
The Raiders are also in the market for a new general manager as the team decided to part ways with Tom Telesco after just one year at the helm.
The move was a curious one as Telesco never got the chance to choose his own head coach and did a solid job in the draft. Regardless, the Raiders felt it was best to move on and will now be in for major changes at the top and must make the right decisions in the next people to lead this franchise.