A surprising new report suggests that a coach the Las Vegas Raiders never even interviewed for their head coach opening was their top choice this offseason.
Despite being 73 years old, the general opinion around the NFL was that legendary Seattle Seahawks and USC coach Pete Carroll was a good choice to take over their program. He has a national championship and Super Bowl win on his resume. A 170-120 career NFL record, and the sort of swagger that fits right in with Raiders culture.
However, according to The Athletic’s Mike Jones, Carroll was not even close to their first choice to be their next head coach.
“Yet another reset just might pay off in a big way, starting near the top, where Tom Brady lured highly regarded Tampa Bay talent evaluator John Spytek to the desert to be general manager. The Raiders wanted Liam Coen to be their head coach, but wound up with Pete Carroll, who — given the state of the franchise — is probably better suited for the job anyway.
Mike Jones
While the news could be viewed as negative, the Raiders landed on Jones’ list of the biggest winners in the offseason. And part of the reason is the addition of Carroll.
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“These two figures [Carroll and Brady] bring leadership and credibility. They found an answer at quarterback, trading for Geno Smith to solve the long-running need for stability at this position, and then landed a potential difference-maker in rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. The Raiders aren’t going to jump all the way to the top of the AFC West standings. They may not leapfrog either of their steadily improving division rivals (the Broncos and Chargers), but the Raiders seemingly are looking at their most realistic shot at improving in a long time.”
Mike Jones
Coen never interviewed for the Las Vegas job. Despite having previously worked closely with the team’s new general manager, John Spytek, when they were together in Tampa Bay the last few seasons. In the end, Coen chose to stay in Florida and become the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Related: Tom Brady reportedly said no to Las Vegas Raiders adding this Pro Bowl QB
After earning his journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos served as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sucka ... More about Jason Burgos