Raiders Reportedly Wanted to Hire Surprise Coach Who Didn't Interview for Job

Raiders Reportedly Wanted to Hire Surprise Coach Who Didn’t Interview for Job originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Las Vegas Raiders fired Antonio Pierce this offseason after a four-win campaign in 2024. After taking over and reviving the Raiders as the interim coach in 2023, Pierce could not sustain his success and owner Mark Davis wanted to go another direction.

Ultimately, the Raiders landed on Pete Carroll as the team’s next head coach, an experienced, Super Bowl-winning leader. Minority owner Tom Brady was in favor of the move, but he tried to seek out other options before finalizing a deal with Carroll.

Former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was reportedly the apple of Brady’s eye throughout the coaching cycle, but Johnson ultimately chose the Bears. Las Vegas interviewed several candidates, but none proved to be stronger than Carroll.

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen.Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Many felt that, after hiring Buccaneers executive John Spytek as the team’s next general manager, Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen would be an easy choice as the team’s next head coach.

Coen knew Spytek well and he was ready to take the next step as an NFL head coach, but the Raiders never so much as requested to interview him. On Wednesday, however, The Athletic’s Mike Jones reported that Las Vegas did, in fact, want Coen.

“The Raiders wanted Liam Coen to be their head coach,” Jones wrote. “But wound up with Pete Carroll, who — given the state of the franchise — is probably better suited for the job anyway.”

Jones’ report is a bit conflicting, as it stands to reason that the Raiders would have at least requested to interview Coen if they were interested in him. Las Vegas also hired Carroll before Coen ultimately took the Jaguars job, so the timeline is a bit murky.

Coen will now look to compete with the Texans for AFC South supremacy this year, but Jacksonville has a long way to go if they want to be a legitimate playoff-level team.

By contrast, Pete Carroll has an easier route to improvement, but he’ll have to fend through a brutal AFC West division that sported three playoff teams last season.

The Raiders and Jaguars are set to play in Week 9 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.

Raiders Reportedly Wanted to Hire Surprise Coach Who Didn’t Interview for Job

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