The Las Vegas Raiders’ head coaching search is heating up - and this weekend, it’s taking a sharp turn toward two of the NFL’s most intriguing young offensive minds. The team is set to interview Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady and San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak on Sunday, just one day after both coaches lead their respective offenses in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
For Brady, this opportunity comes after a rapid rise in Buffalo. The 36-year-old took over as offensive coordinator late in the 2023 season after the team parted ways with Ken Dorsey following a middling 5-5 start.
What followed was a clear pivot in offensive identity. Brady didn’t just stabilize the ship - he reimagined it.
The Bills leaned into a more balanced attack, placing a renewed emphasis on the run game while still utilizing Josh Allen’s dual-threat capabilities. That shift paid off.
Buffalo closed the season on a 6-1 tear, finishing 11-6 and locking up their fourth straight AFC East crown.
In 2024, his first full season at the helm, Brady’s offense hit another gear. The Bills finished 13-4, reached the AFC Championship Game, and ranked top-four in both total yards and points scored.
Most impressively, they led the league in rushing yards - a testament to how thoroughly Brady retooled what had been one of the NFL’s pass-heaviest attacks. His “Everybody Eats” philosophy wasn’t just a catchy slogan; it turned into a record-setting reality.
Thirteen different players caught touchdown passes, the most in league history. That kind of distribution speaks volumes about Brady’s system - it’s creative, adaptable, and tough to game-plan against.
Unsurprisingly, he’s now a finalist for the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year.
On the other side of the country, Klay Kubiak has been quietly building his résumé in one of the league’s most sophisticated offensive systems. The 37-year-old is in his first year as San Francisco’s offensive coordinator, but his fingerprints have been on Kyle Shanahan’s offense for a while.
He started with the 49ers in 2021 as a defensive quality control coach - yes, defense - before transitioning to the offensive side of the ball. He served as assistant quarterbacks coach, then passing game specialist, and finally earned the OC title in January 2025.
While Shanahan still calls plays, Kubiak plays a critical role in shaping the offense’s structure and weekly design. And in a system as intricate and motion-heavy as San Francisco’s, that’s no small task. His familiarity with the scheme and ability to help execute it at a high level has earned him respect across the league - and now, a shot at potentially leading his own team.
Before his NFL days, Kubiak cut his teeth in the high school ranks. He was both offensive coordinator and head coach at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory in Texas, where he compiled a 24-11 record and guided the program to three playoff appearances in as many seasons. Coaching is in his bloodline - he’s the son of Super Bowl-winning head coach Gary Kubiak and the brother of current Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who’s also already interviewed with the Raiders.
Brady and Kubiak are the latest names in what’s become a wide-ranging search for Las Vegas. The Raiders have cast a broad net, speaking with or requesting interviews from a mix of coordinators and head coaches across the league, including Vance Joseph, Matt Nagy, Ejiro Evero, Jesse Minter, Kevin Stefanski, and Jeff Hafley, among others. They’ve also tapped into coaching staffs from the Rams and Broncos.
Most of the first-round interviews have been conducted virtually, but as the process moves forward, expect in-person meetings to follow. For the Raiders, this next hire is a pivotal one - and with candidates like Brady and Kubiak in the mix, they’re clearly looking for a fresh offensive vision to lead the franchise into its next era.