Insider Names Surprise Coach Raiders Wanted to Hire Over Pete Carroll

The Las Vegas Raiders interviewed several head coaching candidates this offseason after firing Antonio Pierce, but Ben Johnson and Pete Carroll appeared to be the favorites throughout the process. Johnson was the No. 1 choice, but he decided to go to the Chicago Bears.

The Raiders were more than happy to pivot to Carroll, who is a Super Bowl champion as a head coach. Early in the process, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen seemed like he’d be a logical person to target.

He had ties to general manager John Spytek, but the Raiders never ended up interviewing Coen. However, according to a surprising new report from The Athletic’s Mike Jones, Coen was actually the coach Las Vegas really wanted.

“‘The Raiders?’ you ask. Yes. The Raiders,” Jones wrote. “Yet another reset just might pay off in a big way, starting near the top, where Tom Brady lured highly regarded Tampa Bay talent evaluator John Spytek to the desert to be general manager. The Raiders wanted Liam Coen to be their head coach, but wound up with Pete Carroll, who — given the state of the franchise — is probably better suited for the job anyway.

“These two figures bring leadership and credibility. They found an answer at quarterback, trading for Geno Smith to solve the long-running need for stability at this position, and then landed a potential difference-maker in rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. The Raiders aren’t going to jump all the way to the top of the AFC West standings. They may not leapfrog either of their steadily improving division rivals (the Broncos and Chargers), but the Raiders seemingly are looking at their most realistic shot at improving in a long time.”

Why Did Raiders Interview Coen?

Coen eventually was hired to be the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, so he was clearly open to head coaching opportunities, but there was never a report of the Raiders even requesting an interview with him. If Las Vegas coveted him so much, why would they not at least try to give him an interview?

Most reporting has suggested that Johnson was the young offensive mind that the Raiders wanted. Perhaps Coen had made it clear to the team that he wasn’t interested in coming to Las Vegas for any number of reasons. Regardless, it’s odd that the Raiders’ interest in Coen would come out now.

Carroll Appears to Have Been the Right Choice

Carroll is a proven winner and team builder. The only knock on him is his age. He’s going to turn 74 during the season, which will make him the oldest head coach in NFL history.

He’s already proven during his brief time with the Raiders that he’s much younger than his age would indicate. The team has released videos of him doing wrestling moves on his players, and everybody has raved about the energy he’s bringing.

The Raiders have been a struggling franchise for over two decades, so bringing a proven winner like Carroll to the team could be exactly what they need to get back on track before they bring in a young head coach.