Could Raiders land one of these guys?
After firing Antonio Pierce, the Las Vegas Raiders will begin the offseason looking for a new head coach. The Raiders are also expected to be in the quarterback market during the 2025 NFL Draft and/or free agency, so it would make sense for Las Vegas to target an offensive-minded coach to develop a young QB. Even if the club sticks with Aidan O’Connell next season, it’d be smart to get a mentor for the second-year pro.
So, let’s take a look at Silver and Black Pride’s Top 5 offensive-minded head coach candidates heading into the search.
1. Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions OC
Johnson, set to interview with the Silver and Black on Friday, is the cream of the crop as he was one of the top head coach candidates last offseason before opting to return to Detroit. Over the last three years, his offenses have ranked no lower than fourth in total yards—finishing fourth, third and second—and no lower than fifth in points scored—fifth twice and first this season. A big reason for that is he’s gotten the most out of Jared Goff, who continues to set career highs under Johnson.
However, the 38-year-old is picky and has criteria for organizations to land him, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Johnson is also widely considered to be the top candidate in the hiring cycle again, so the Raiders will have plenty of competition if they want ot hire him. Additionally, Detroit has arguably the best offensive line in the NFL and a plethora of talent on offense, meaning it’s fair to question how much credit he gets for the Lions’ success.
2. Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers OC
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If Las Vegas wants to pluck from the coveted Sean McVay coaching tree, Coen would be its best option. He spent the 2020 campaign working with Goff as the Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach before becoming the offensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky. Simultaneously, Will Levis transferred to Kentucky and went from losing a quarterback battle at Penn State to earning some first-round draft buzz under Coen’s guidance. It’s also worth noting that Levis struggled after Coen left.
The problem is the 39-year-old’s return to the NFL was ugly. He re-joined McVay’s staff in Los Angeles, this time as the offensive coordinator. The Rams’ offense ranked dead last in total yards and 27th in points that year. Granted, the team also had several injuries and Coen helped revitalize Baker Mayfield’s career as Mayfield was a late-season addition. Those two reunited in Tampa this season, finishing third in yards and fourth in points despite losing Chris Godwin for half the campaign and missing Mike Evans for three games.
3. Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills OC
Brady came to fame during his time as LSU’s passing game coordinator. The 2019 National Champions set several offensive records as Joe Burrow blossomed from a backup quarterback at Ohio State to the No. 1 overall pick in the draft in Brady’s system. More recently, the coach has helped Josh Allen develop into an MVP candidate. He served as the Buffalo Bills’ quarterback coach in 2022 before becoming the interim offensive coordinator in 2023.
However, Brady had a bumpy transition as an offensive play-caller in the NFL. He was the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021 before getting let go with offenses that ranked 24th and 29th, respectively. Also, the 35-year-old is arguably the biggest gamble of the bunch given his age and limited NFL experience, having coached in the league for just six years.
4. Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans OC
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Another coach who was involved in last year’s hiring cycle, Slowik rose to prominence for his work with 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud. The Texans ranked 12th in yards and 13th in points last year while winning the AFC South as the coach proved he could be successful with a young quarterback to generate some buzz. Also, he’s a Kyle Shanahan disciple which carries a lot of weight around the league.
The biggest issue with the 37-year-old is Stroud and Houston’s offense has regressed this season, falling to 22nd and 19th in the two respective categories listed above. Combine that with only having two years as a coordinator, and he seems to have lost some steam this time around.
5. Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens OC
Nearly 59 years old with a decade of NFL experience and over 30 years as a coach, Monken is the senior citizen of this group. His résumé over the last five years is strong, winning two National Championships as the University of Georgia’s offensive coordinator. So, he has experience working with Brock Bowers and got the most out of Stetson Bennett in Athens. Additionally, Monken has been very successful in Baltimore over the last two years, ranking fourth and third in points. The Raiders have reportedly asked the Ravens permission to interview him.
However, the long-time coach doesn’t have a good track record of developing quarterbacks in the NFL. He was the Buccaneers offensive coordinator from 2016 to 2018, working with a young Jameis Winston before getting let go along with head coach Dirk Koetter. Monken then joined Freddie Kitchens’ staff as OC of the Cleveland Browns while working with Mayfield at quarterback, only to get fired after one season.