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For the fourth time since 2022, the Las Vegas Raiders are looking for a new head coach.
But this time they get help from an NFL legend.
Tom Brady, a minority owner of the Raiders, will work with general manager John Spytek to find the right next coach for the franchise after the firing of Pete Carroll after just one season in Las Vegas.
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Tom Brady watches from the sidelines before the Dallas Cowboys vs. Chicago Bears game at Soldier Field on Sept. 21, 2025, in Chicago. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
“Going forward, General Manager John Spytek will lead all football operations in close cooperation with Tom Brady, including the search for the club’s next head coach,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a statement Monday.
There was optimism when Carroll came out of retirement to join the Raiders after the firing of Antonio Pierce last year. Carroll has the Super Bowl pedigree, and the Raiders made moves, including bringing in veteran Geno Smith at quarterback.
But the season proved disastrous for the Raiders as they went 3-14 to tie for the worst record in the league after 18 weeks.
RAIDERS DISMISS LONGTIME NFL HEAD COACH PETE CARROLL AFTER ONE SEASON
One caveat: With the New York Giants beating the Dallas Cowboys to improve to 4-13 in Week 18, the Raiders own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
It’s a potentially franchise-changing pick, and all signs point to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza being the pick for a quarterback-needy team like the Raiders.
But first, the Raiders need to make sure the roster is headed in the right direction, making the hiring of the head coach critical.
“Together, they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals,” Davis’ statement concluded.
Las Vegas Raiders owner and managing general partner and Las Vegas Aces owner Mark Davis (L) and Tom Brady attend Game One of the 2023 WNBA Playoffs finals between the Aces and the New York Liberty at Michelob ULTRA Arena on October 8, 2023 in Las Vegas. The Aces defeated Liberty, 99-82. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Brady and Spytek have a history with each other before the latter was hired by the Raiders last year. They were briefly in Ann Arbor together as Michigan Wolverines teammates, but more importantly, Spytek was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Brady was with the organization toward the end of his career.
They will compete with other teams looking for a new head coach this offseason, including the Giants, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals. The Falcons, Browns and Cardinals all fired their head coaches on what is considered “Black Monday” – the day after the final week of the NFL regular season.
The Raiders brought in a Brady connection in January 2022 when they hired Josh McDaniels to be their next head coach after rising to fame with the New England Patriots as their offensive coordinator. However, McDaniels was fired midway through the 2023 campaign, making way for an interim role for Pierce.
Pierce was eventually hired in the offseason, assuming the role full-time in hopes that the Raiders would continue to rally around his forward-thinking coaching style highlighted by aggressive play.
Tom Brady looks on from the sidelines during warmups prior to an NFL football game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
But Pierce ultimately fell short when Las Vegas relieved him of his duties before hiring Carroll.
Of course, the Raiders want to stop this trend with their leader on the field, and it will be up to Brady and Spytek to get the hiring right this time.
