The search for a new head coach in Las Vegas is ongoing. The Raiders have requested several interviews and held several as well. And thus far it appears their top choices have said ‘thanks, but no thanks’.
One such candidate may well have been Tampa Bay Buccaneers OC Liam Coen. But that option is now off the table, as Coen has opted to stay on as OC with the Bucs.
Coen is very highly regarded in NFL circles and may well have gotten a head coaching job this offseason had he explored it.
The Raiders in particular have requested an interviewed Buccaneers assistant GM John Spytek for their vacant GM position and ultimately hired him. There was a vacancy at GM in Las Vegas mainly because it would seem to raise the possibility of landing the head coach of their choice because the HC/GM could be a package deal — see Josh McDaniels/Dave Ziegler, and Jon Gruden/Mike Mayock.
Several other Raiders top candidates have since become head coaches elsewhere.
Raiders minority owner Tom Brady asked Mike Vrabel about interviewing for the Raiders job, but he declined because he knew he would be taking the job in New England. Then the Raiders went full force after Ben Johnson, only to have him choose to take the head coaching job in Chicago without even giving the Raiders so much as an in-person interview.
The cupboard is not empty, but clearing out of top candidates.
Stay up on those in our Raiders head coach interview tracker.
Also see our Raiders GM interview tracker.