January 13, 2026, 6:13 a.m. Pacific Time
The Las Vegas Raiders are conducting a thorough process before naming their next coach. John Spytek met or requested interviews with 12 candidates, including a brief phone conversation with John Harbaugh. Harbaugh has not yet formally expressed interest, but Raidersthere are 11 true candidates as of Tuesday morning.
The most important question Spytek should ask these candidates is: What is their plan to develop their young quarterback? There are overwhelming expectations that the Raiders will select Indiana quarterback (Heisman Trophy winner) Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
When hiring a head coach, it is important to understand the staff that the head coach can develop. In Vegas’ case, the offensive coordinator will likely receive special attention as he will likely be tasked with developing Mendoza. It depends on who the Raiders hire, but former new york giants Head coach Brian Daboll would be a great OC candidate.
Daboll was initially rumored to be a potential OC for the Raiders if Brian Flores was named head coach. The two previously worked together with the New England Patriots. However, Flores was not on the Raiders’ initial list of head coach candidates.
Daboll could emerge as an option for the Raiders’ offense next season as well. He has a long history of developing young quarterbacks. He was in Buffalo with rookie Josh Allen. Giants QB Jackson Dart regressed after Daboll’s midseason firing.
If the Raiders were to hire an offensive-minded head coach, they would likely prefer to appoint their own OC. But if a young defensive head like, say, Jesse Minter, Chris Shula or Jeff Hafley gets the job, Spytek and Tom Brady could be able to influence staffing decisions. Daboll should be seriously considered as one of the top OC candidates available this offseason.