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New Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has decided to retain several coaches from the previous coaching staff on both sides of the ball. At first, it looked like running backs coach Deland McCullough was going to keep his job, but he has decided to go elsewhere.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, McCullough is expected to take the running backs coach job at Oklahoma. It’s unclear if the Raiders didn’t want to retain the coach.
When they purged several coaches’ names from the coaching staff page on their official website, McCullough’s name was left up. Perhaps after meeting with Kubiak, they decided it was best to go in a different direction.
Kubiak’s offense is very run-heavy, so he might want a running backs coach he has more experience with. Prior to joining the Raiders last year, McCullough had spent the previous four seasons coaching at the college level.
He could feel more comfortable coaching in the college game. Kubiak likely has some names in mind. Ashton Jeanty is a young and exciting running back, so they need to pair him with a strong coach. The running game is going to be very important for the Raiders going forward.
Details Emerge on Kubiak Hiring
The Raiders decided to be more methodical in their head coaching search this offseason. They were very patient waiting for Kubiak instead of settling for a less exciting option just to get somebody in place.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer detailed what attracted the Raiders to Kubiak.
“The Raiders wanted someone who wanted them,” Breer wrote. “That sounds simple, of course. But there’s more to this than just that—there was a real self-awareness to it. The Vegas brass knew their job wasn’t, at this point anyway, the Buffalo or Baltimore job. … In short, they wanted someone who’d embrace the challenge and the history of the team, rather than looking at this as the ‘Yeah, I’ll take it, I guess’ assignment. (Kubiak) told them he wanted to be a part of turning a storied franchise around, and that he loved the idea of taking the first pick and making that selection a turning point for the team.”
Kubiak Wanted to Focus on Playoffs
The interview process for Kubiak was an awkward experience. It was the first time he was heavily courted for head coaching jobs while also coaching in the playoffs.
According to Breer, Kubiak felt like he was doing something wrong by interviewing for head coaching jobs while preparing for playoff games.
“He relayed to the Raiders folks that he felt like he should be preparing for the 49ers during the Zoom interview, one of five he took that weekend (he also met with the Falcons, Giants, Ravens and Cardinals),” Breer wrote. “During his second interview, in person, he flat-out told the Raiders, ‘I owe everything to these players. All I want is to make sure they get the result they deserve.’”
This isn’t something new. Coordinators on Super Bowl teams often get head coaching jobs. Kubiak seemed to balance things well, as his team ended up beating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.