Las Vegas Raiders Eyeing Head Coach Hiring That Would Upset The NFL

This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

The Las Vegas Raiders are once again looking for a new head coach, but this time the process feels different. For the first time in years, the team appears ready to let its general manager run the search.

John Spytek will lead the effort. The Raiders hired him last year along with Pete Carroll, but Spytek had little input in that hire. Now, the job is fully his responsibility. This will be his first time leading a coaching search, which adds some uncertainty.

Spytek won’t be working alone. Minority owner Tom Brady will have a strong voice in the decision. Brady holds real influence inside the organization, and his opinion could shape the final choice. After the failed Carroll hire, Brady may want a coach he knows and trusts.

That points to a familiar name.

Brian Flores has emerged as a serious candidate. He is currently the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator and spent more than a decade working with Brady in New England. According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the two have a strong relationship, and ESPN’s Benjamin Solak believes that connection could play a vital role in the hiring decision.

“If Carroll goes one-and-done, Brady will call an old New England friend to be head coach: current Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores,” Solak wrote. “He’ll get a well-deserved second crack at a head coaching gig after getting fired by the Dolphins in 2022.”

Why A Flores Hire Could Shake The League

Flores brings baggage that many teams avoid. He currently sues the NFL over hiring practices. Several teams named in that lawsuit would not touch him. The Raiders operate differently.

Florio explained why the Raiders might not care. “For a team like the Raiders, which has a history of litigation against the league, it may not matter,” Florio wrote. He also referenced the 2021 Jon Gruden situation, saying, “Especially after the manner in which someone saw fit to force out coach Jon Gruden in 2021.”

Flores would be very different from Pete Carroll. Carroll relied on energy and a player-friendly style. Flores runs a strict, no-nonsense program. Florio described him as “no-nonsense and Belichickian.”

That style comes with risk. The Raiders have tried a Patriots-style coach before, and Josh McDaniels failed. But Flores is different in one important way. He has already shown he can win as a head coach. He helped Miami improve before the team fired him in 2022.

There are still concerns. Flores demands discipline, and that can wear players down or create tension in the locker room. But the upside is clear. He brings a strong defensive mindset, experience, and a proven track record.

If the Raiders hire Flores, it wouldn’t be just another coaching move. It would send a strong message, one that could be felt across the NFL.