Raiderstation

What’s your thoughts? I prefer young offensive minded with a fresh DC. Kubiak, Cooter, Kafka and pair them with someone like Al Harris as the DC.

Someone texted me tonight saying the new coach will be the 5th coach that Doofus Davis is currently paying now. I am not going to add it up, but sounds right. Think about running a business where you are paying fired personnel millions of dollars every year for nothing.

RunOverByHubbard wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 11:45 pm Someone texted me tonight saying the new coach will be the 5th coach that Doofus Davis is currently paying now. I am not going to add it up, but sounds right. Think about running a business where you are paying fired personnel millions of dollars every year for nothing.

This is what happens when there’s an idiot at the top of the food chain. A shame it’s not a publicly traded company. The board and shareholders would have ousted the dingbat 6 or 7 years ago.

Let’s hope he sells the team, dons that pink wig, and let’s those savvy dance moves carry him to Ace’s mascot legend.

Groundhog day again.

I post a variation on this theme every time we are on the hunt for a new HC which means I've done this many times before.

I was a child when we last won the superbowl and I'm now an old, greying man fighting an endless battle against unwanted ear hair. I would give a body part to win it again, to feel that childhood joy of winning a superbowl but I've had a lifetime of disappointment and continual crushed hope. It is easy to want to win a single superbowl, I'm sure every one of us wants that. A more lofty goal is to aim for continued and sustained success, to be perennial challengers, to be in the playoffs regularly.

Creating a dynasty can happen in many ways. You can go out and find that head coach who is in it for the long run and builds it based on their cult of personality. These are the Belichicks of the world. Everything goes through them and this is what the vast majority of teams are trying to achieve. The flaw is that when that coach is gone, the team has to completely rebuild from scratch. The lightning has escaped from the bottle.

An alternative is to establish an organisational identity. What type of football do we want to play? How do we want the rest of the league to perceive us? Essentially, who and what are the Raiders? We used to have this. Then you go find the coach who best fits this mentality. We appoint a GM and give them the remit to find players who match the play style through both the draft and FA. We keep an eye out on the young, up and coming, coaches who meet the same criteria and put them in the lesser roles, creating in-house succession planning. Far too many times we have brought in a coach who has tried to brute force their scheme and play style onto a roster ill equipped for it. Square pegs rammed into round holes and players ending up not in a position to succeed but set up for failure.

I believe this way sets us up for sustained success. It'll be ugly for a season or two and patience is the one characteristic the NFL is not renowned for. I've given up my entire life watching us fail repeatedly, unable to break the cycle of mediocrity. It is time to do it differently.

I honestly don't know who our next HC should be but the conversations about the various candidates all talk about what schemes they like to run. I'd much rather we talk about how the coaches have shown flexibility and adaptability, changing what they do based on the strengths and weaknesses of the rosters they have inherited. I want a coach who can sprinkle it with their own magic dust, and develop players according to the identity otherwise we will be having the same conversations about head coach candidates again and again for the rest of time.

I'd still give a body part for one more superbowl though.

So the Browns and the Raiders have fired their coaches, a reminder that it is time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors.

RunOverByHubbard wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 11:45 pm Someone texted me tonight saying the new coach will be the 5th coach that Doofus Davis is currently paying now. I am not going to add it up, but sounds right. Think about running a business where you are paying fired personnel millions of dollars every year for nothing.

Not to defend Mark but I don’t think that tweet is accurate. I believe Tristan Kuhn texted this year that McDaniels/AP came off the books. Gruden’s resigned so that had to factor in too. Obviously Pete has 2 years left(why he didn’t resign), but I think that’s the only one

ALLRAIDERWORLD21 wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 1:04 am

Or hire the person who can develop the upcoming QB & be a good leader that the team will respect. IMO that guy is Kubiak & I believe Mendoza or Moore will like that arrangement.

Plus, it’s gonna be a lot easier to recruit players in free agency(yes money talks) with Kubiak over a guy suing the league cuz you don’t hire him.

Flores for me has earned a shot at another HC & the more i think about it I wouldn't be mad at hiring him as HC.

I don’t consider Flores a retread in the sense that some do being that in his time at Miami he had success turning them around with the added problem of an Al Davis: Jerry Jones like owner constantly meddling plus he has success of turning around the defensive side of the ball wherever he has been

So i don’t have an issue with a defensive minded HC like some do in fact i think i might benefit our young QB more as a offensive minded HC will have less time to spend with him than an OC would

My number one coaching options are Jesse Minter & Marcus Brady (passing game coordinator) would be my favourite tandem we could put together

Brady has worked with some good offensive names in the past in Mark Trestman, Frank Reich & Nick Sirianni that interests me

Sloth_Fratelli wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 5:06 am Or hire the person who can develop the upcoming QB & be a good leader that the team will respect. IMO that guy is Kubiak & I believe Mendoza or Moore will like that arrangement.

Plus, it’s gonna be a lot easier to recruit players in free agency(yes money talks) with Kubiak over a guy suing the league cuz you don’t hire him.

I've seen the "suing the league" reference a couple times now. Who is that?

raider_kin wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 5:39 am I've seen the "suing the league" reference a couple times now. Who is that?

Former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL and teams like the Giants, Broncos, and Texans, alleging systemic racism in hiring practices, particularly "sham" interviews for minority coaches (violating the Rooney Rule), and biased arbitration. The case is ongoing, with a federal appeals court ruling that it can proceed to trial, despite the NFL's attempts to force it into league arbitration, and Flores claims it highlights racial bias in coaching opportunities, while some witnesses have challenged his claims.

Attyla wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 5:42 am Former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL and teams like the Giants, Broncos, and Texans, alleging systemic racism in hiring practices, particularly "sham" interviews for minority coaches (violating the Rooney Rule), and biased arbitration. The case is ongoing, with a federal appeals court ruling that it can proceed to trial, despite the NFL's attempts to force it into league arbitration, and Flores claims it highlights racial bias in coaching opportunities, while some witnesses have challenged his claims.

This is the only thing i don't like about Flores but there are some truths & falsities in what he has said

The Rooney rule for me is a joke & the NFL has allowed it to be that way for a few years now

I will say if you want a coach who is the very DNA of what the Raiders identity is all about a coach who is suing the NFL exactly that & it would be a very Al like move to hire Flores

Marzan wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 12:54 pm Aren't they just repeating the Florio thing?

Flores really doesn't strike me as a good fit. Defensive side of the ball, bad track record with a rookie QB, lawsuit against the league and their beloved Giants. I don't think his tough rough persona is a good mesh with Mendoza's choir boy ways either.

He was right about everything though. Can’t penalize him for being correct.

We’re all hoping for a Cohen and an amazing turnaround but this year’s coaching candidates leave a lot to be desired. I’m not sure I’d pillage from the college ranks either.

Ultimately we need an offensive minded head coach if for no other reason than Payton and Reid being in the division.

As far as Flores? Yeah I don’t know. The last thing we need is controversy with our HC. And an ongoing lawsuit? If we are going that route might as well bring back Gruden - we’re already paying him.

All that said? I’m coming around to Stephanski.

NoClapsPlease wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 6:31 am He was right about everything though. Can’t penalize him for being correct.

You mean Flores? No doubt the Rooney Rule is a sham and he has a valid argument. My point is just considering that the league office and some owners don't exactly love us, I think it might be prudent not to hire a coach with an open lawsuit against said league.

On the other hand that would be the ultimate Raider move if it happened, but again, I'd prefer an offensive side of the ball coach.