Feb 12, 2026
3 min read
"He's outstanding in his leadership, his humility, his work ethic, his intelligence," general manager John Spitek said of Kubiak.
Las Vegas has gone 35 days without a head coach, prioritizing due diligence in their decision-making.
Owner Mark Davis said Tuesday that he had a lot of faith in General Manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady in finding his head coach.Spytek explained from the start of the search that he would remain "open-minded" in identifying candidates, with a focus on finding a coach who could "make this the right way".
With this in mind, the general manager interviewed 15 different candidates for the position, ultimately conducting over 22 interviews.
Clint Kubiak was one of the few coaches to receive multiple interviews, as the former Seahawks offensive coordinator held meetings with the brass band Zoom before the divisional round game against the New England Patriots against the San Francisco 49ers and Super Bowl LX.Obviously, the longer Kubiak and the Seahawks were in the playoffs, the longer it would take to get to the building.
But as the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait.
“We had to be patient,” John Spytek said during Kubiak's introductory press conference."We had to let him win a Super Bowl, which we were more than willing to do. So we're very proud of him for that, and he stood out for his leadership, for his humility, for his work ethic, for his intelligence. We called a lot of people around the league and we got great reviews about him as well. So that made it a tough decision for us.
"He has a lot of good things ahead of him. He can't wait to go to work."
Spitek echoed that sentiment by saying it was an easy decision to hire Kubiak to explain his new head coach's decision to leave the Super Bowl champions for Las Vegas, going so far as to say it was a "use" given what the Silver and Black had to offer.
"I think in two separate conversations I really identified with John and Mr. Davis and the ownership structure," Klint Kubiak said."And they didn't have to say much. This is the Raiders. It's one of the most storied franchises in the NFL with a great history that I want to be a part of. I want to be a part of promoting that history. So I think it really sold itself, but having those two different conversations and being more comfortable with the guys in the room helped a lot."
"The important thing is that this is not a trivial task," he added."It's silver and black. It's invasive. It's a historic franchise."
In theory, it made sense for Spytek to give Kubiak a breakout season with the Seahawks.They finished first in the league in points (191), third (483), sixth (45.9) and eighth (5,973).In addition, their receiver Jackson Smith-Njigba led the league (1,793) to win AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.while taking them home.
Now, he's responsible for turning down an offense that ranks last in the league in scoring and total yards in 2025.But with 2025 first-round pick Ashton Ginty and 2024 Brock Bowers as intriguing pieces, Spytek is confident the first-year coach can be successful.
"It's less about the schedule and more about the people," Spytek said of Kubiak's hiring."We put a lot of thought into how we approach this organization and the kind of coach and guy we're looking for every day to lead this organization. I mean, he talks to the players every day. The players are the most important part of this organization right now. ... And it's great that he can score a lot of points, but I'm more focused on the person, the humility, the ethics.
Mark Davis has been associated with the Kubiak surname for more than 40 years, dating back to Gary's father, Clint, who was the quarterback of the champion Denver Broncos for nine seasons.
Gary then won three Super Bowls as a coach with an AFC West rival, returning as offensive coordinator from 1997-98 and another as a head coach in Super Bowl 50. Giving the offense a boost and having the No.1 general pick.
"It's great to have," Mark Davis said of Clint's lineage."His dad has [three] rings and now he's got one himself. It's really exciting for him."
“There's a lot of impressive things about him, but again it's just who he is,” Davis continued. "I think his family, everything — he's just a really good young man.And he's also competitive.He is a silent killer, as they say.So I think we'll see that and the whole Raider nation will love him."
Kubiak has one day to bask in the glory of his Super Bowl title, as he flies back to Seattle after his conference opener for the Seahawks' championship parade on Wednesday.
"But he will be ready to go back to work on Thursday," Speke confirmed.
Enter the Intermountain Health Performance Center to see photos from head coach Klint Kubiak's first full day as a Raider.
