The Las Vegas Raiders embraced the trend of younger coaches during this cycle.
Not only did general manager John Spytek hire one of the NFL’s youngest head coaches in Klint Kubiak to take over for the oldest coach in league history in Pete Carroll, but Kubiak also added an offensive and defensive coordinator who have yet to reach their 40th birthdays.
The three should bring new ideas to a franchise badly in need of a fresh start.
It’s a direction the league has been trending for a decade, a phenomenon known as the Sean McVay Effect.
The average age of NFL head coaches has dropped from 53.4 to 47.7 the past decade, as teams look to get ahead of the curve on the next brilliant schematic mind, similar to what the Los Angeles Rams did when they made McVay the youngest head coach in league history in 2017.
An attempt to go against the trend did not work out for the Raiders last season, particularly installing Carroll’s always compete mindset to run a team that should have been rebuilding.
There appears to be much better organizational alignment this time with a young staff that is likely to take on the challenge of mentoring a rookie quarterback with a couple of explosive skill position players around him and ready to be surrounded by complementary pieces.
Here is a look at where the staff stands now that Kubiak has been on the job for a week after returning from the Super Bowl victory parade in Seattle:
Offense
Kubiak will serve as the primary playcaller on offense, but 37-year-old offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko has been a close confidant since their days with the Minnesota Vikings and has been Kubiak’s quarterbacks coach in New Orleans and Seattle the past two seasons.
Their philosophies align, and Janocko will be an extension of Kubiak in the offensive meeting rooms as the head coach expands his responsibilities.
One of the noteworthy things Kubiak has done is surround his young coordinators with experienced veteran coaches who should be able to serve as sounding boards.
That includes Mike McCoy, who has more than two decades of NFL coaching experience and was head coach of the San Diego Chargers for four seasons.
He should be a valuable resource, along with new offensive line coach Rick Dennison, who was named to the position Thursday. He has been around the league in just about every role the past 30 years and has known Kubiak since he was a child.
Kubiak also brought in Zach Azzanni to coach wide receivers. Another move that might help bolster the offense would be to retain steady tight ends coach Luke Steckel, though the move has not been finalized.
Defense
While the Raiders were in need of major changes, Kubiak did identify a rising star who already was in the building.
Rob Leonard, a defensive line coach whom the organization battled to keep around through multiple staffs, was promoted to defensive coordinator.
While it will be his first time taking on such a huge role, Leonard has done nothing to show he is not ready for the opportunity to design his own defense.
He has developed players and shown leadership throughout. He will bring that same energy to the entire defense. His close relationship with star defensive end Maxx Crosby could also help smooth that relationship and is an added bonus.
Travis Smith will step into Leonard’s role as defensive line coach after coordinating the defensive run game of the Tennessee Titans last season.
Linebackers coach Ronell Williams and safeties coach Matt Robinson were hired to be part of a staff that includes veteran Al Holcomb as a senior defensive assistant.
Holcomb and Joe Woods will likely fill similar roles as McCoy and Dennison on offense as veteran coaches who can also serve as advisers.
It’s not clear yet what title Woods, a former defensive coordinator in the league, will have after serving as defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator.
Special teams
Kubiak elected to turn back the clock for his choice to run his special teams, selecting 60-year-old Joe DeCamillis.
It’s another coach with experience on all levels to balance out the youth at the top of the offensive and defensive rooms.
DeCamillis ran the special teams for the Broncos when Kubiak’s father, Gary, won a Super Bowl with Denver. He did the same for the Rams’ championship team.
Like Kubiak, DeCamillis’ family is ingrained in football.
He’s married to Dana, the daughter of former NFL player and coach Dan Reeves.
Of course, the experience of DeCamillis will be balanced out by a younger coach in the form of Marquice Williams. The 40-year-old, the special teams coordinator in Atlanta the past five seasons, has been hired as the Raiders’ senior special teams coach.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.