Klint Kubiak is the man charged with steering the Silver & Black ship back to relevance.
Officially hired by the Las Vegas Raiders after an impressive showing as the Super Bowl winning Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator on Feb. 9, the 39-year-old hot shot is at the forefront of a much-desired Raiders renaissance. To get there, Kubiak’s first addition to his coaching staff in Las Vegas was Mike McCoy as assistant head coach, just three days after being anointed the Raiders’ 25th head coach.
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I suspect there were plenty of “why hire the failed San Diego Chargers head coach?” sentiment going around when McCoy was added to Kubiak’s coaching staff. Raider Nation saw plenty of McCoy during his tenure as the Bolts head coach from 2013-16. Against the Silver & Black, McCoy sported a 4-4 record and compiled a 27-37 overall record — including two playoff berths in the initial two years — during that timespan.
But the relationship the pair forged in a single season with the Denver Broncos in 2017 — alongside McCoy’s prior relationship as both a player for and coach against Klint’s father Gary Kubiak — made it no surprise to see McCoy join the Raiders coaching staff under the younger Kubiak. Also not shocking are the positive vibes McCoy broadcast during his time at the podium this offseason. The 54-year-old said he’s thrilled to be back with Kubiak and he’s excited about coaching prized Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
And it’s a bit of a role reversal as Kubiak served as a young offensive assistant under McCoy who was then the Broncos offensive coordinator. Now it’s Kubiak who has the elder coach as his assistant as he steps into the big shoes of Raiders head honcho.
“Well, I was coached by his father back in 1995 with the Broncos, and just understanding and knowing the type of coach Gary was and having played against Gary a number of years, different places. Then I was fortunate enough to work with Klint in Denver for a year, and I gave him a big responsibility there,” McCoy said when asked what gave him the confidence that he and Klint Kubiak would have a similar vision. “I leaned on him for a number of different things when I was the offensive coordinator there, he is like I said earlier, he has a passion for the game, and his work ethic is unbelievable. And so, we’ve talked over the years.”
That prior relationship built trust between the coaches. And when you’re a rookie head coach, it’s inevitable for you to dip into the well of connections. For Kubiak, the first order of business was to land McCoy as his assistant head coach after the latter served as the Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator then interim head coach last season.
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McCoy provides Kubiak a trusted sounding board as the new head coach navigates the hurdles that come with the title. McCoy’s experience gives Kubiak a wealth of information regarding building a team, game management, and making informed decisions in dire moments. The extensive play-calling experience McCoy’s gathered gives Kubiak another set of eyes who can provide real-time feedback and bank what he sees to use as a tool during film study and practice.
That’s the catalyst for more past connections.
Kubiak brought in a good mix of familiar and new faces to his coaching staff, namely offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko and offensive line coach Rick Dennison. Veteran coach Mike Sullivan joined later as the quarterbacks coach and each of those aforementioned names all had prior working relationships. Despite the ranging experience and stops in between, the synergy Kubiak has with his coaching staff stood out. Every coach that did a media session after OTAs or minicamps spoke highly of being on the same page.
For McCoy, that’s simply Kubiak.
“Well, give Coach (Klint Kubiak) all the credit in the world for establishing a standard that’s very high. He’s very demanding,” McCoy said when asked the efficient and fluid nature of the new regime installing schemes and systems with the players. “He’s not going to hold back on anybody in the meetings, team meetings. He’s not afraid to point anybody out at practice. It doesn’t matter who you are, he’s going to coach you hard.
“There’s a standard, and that’s the standard he set, and if you want to be great in this league, there’s a way to prepare, a way to practice, a way to work, a way to be connected as a team. The things we’ve done, it’s been outstanding, but everything starts with Klint’s leadership and the way he treats the players.”
Another area where McCoy supports Kubiak is the all-important quarterback room.
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McCoy brought along young signal callers during his various stints in the NFL. His most recent tutelage was with the Titans rookie Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft. With the Raiders, McCoy gets hands on another top draft pick in Fernando Mendoza, whom the Raiders made the first selection out off Indiana in the 2026 draft.
Building a coaching staff that’s prime with quarterback development experience is one of the most impressive aspects of Kubiak’s crew. Kubiak himself, McCoy, Janocko, Dennison, and Sullivan all served as a quarterbacks coach in their respective careers. And each have spoken highly of Kubiak’s ability to impart attention to detail which, if successful, creates much-needed discipline in Las Vegas. A team that can do the little things right does the big things right.
The Raiders quarterback room exudes that mantra, interestingly enough. It’s a group led by veteran Kirk Cousins, with promising rookie Mendoza, experience veteran Aidan O’Connell behind him, and undrafted rookie Jacob Clark rounding the group out. Quarterback controversy is an oft headline grabber, but in Las Vegas, it’s a room that wants to make each other better.
“It’s great to see. It says a lot about the character of the guys in the room. It’s when you see people that want to help each other, and they understand,” McCoy said. “Kirk has played a long time, he’s played a long time, he’s been in a lot of different rooms. Aidan has done a phenomenal job. From the day we signed Kirk to the day we drafted Fernando, he hasn’t changed at all, and it just says so much about those type of players.
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“It’s special as coaches when you get those type of people in a building and they’re unselfish and they want to help each other, because they understand the business. It is a business, and they understand that, but they’re doing everything they can to help the younger players.”