Christian McCaffrey
Getty
San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey.
New Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak isn’t going to blow people away with his charisma as Pete Carroll and Antonio Pierce did. He has a more reserved and calm personality.
That led to some concern in the interview process that he might not have the right voice to command a locker room. However, it has become clear that the players who have worked with him think very highly of his ability.
During Kubiak’s one season with the San Francisco 49ers, he had a chance to coach star running back Christian McCaffrey. Though they didn’t spend much time together, McCaffrey is a massive fan of the coach. He has a big prediction for what the Raiders are going to be able to do under Kubiak.
“You’re getting a great guy, first off,” McCaffrey told Heavy Sports at the eBay pop-up in Downtown San Francisco when asked what the Raiders are getting in Kubiak. “One of the best dudes that I’ve worked with, a great mind of football, a great leader and somebody who I think, I don’t know what their record was, but with him they’ll be much better.
“He’s a hell of a coach, man, a great guy, and I can’t say enough good things about him.”
How Much Better Can Raiders Be Under Kubiak?
The Raiders won three games in 2025 and earned the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They can’t be much worse than they were under Carroll.
Kubiak has a lot of work to do, and it’s possible the record doesn’t look much better in 2026, but the Raiders have to feel a lot better about their direction. Instead of having the oldest head coach in NFL history trying to steer a rebuild, the team now has a head coach who is still in his 30s. He’ll be much more patient and methodical than Carroll was.
Brock Purdy Is Also a Big Fan of Kubiak
It’s difficult to find a player who has a bad thing to say about Kubiak. He’s earned strong praise from many players who have worked with him.
McCaffrey isn’t the only 49ers player whom Kubiak left a strong impression on. Quarterback Brock Purdy also had some big praise for the coach.
“He’s awesome, man,” Purdy said of Kubiak in an interview with Heavy Sports. “Really smart. It was pretty cool to have him come in that 2023 year, with his experiences, and then also learn from Kyle (Shanahan) and vice versa. Both of them bouncing ideas off each other when it comes to offense.
“But the way Klint handles himself, how he thinks, and what he believes, as a man, who he is, I could tell he’s a leader of men for sure. So for him to be able to get an opportunity as a head coach, I’m really happy for him, excited for him and he deserves it.”
It’s going to take a lot more than having good relationships with players to turn the Raiders around, but Kubiak seems to have the traits of a successful NFL head coach.