Feb. 19, 2026, 12:01 p.m. ET
The Las Vegas Raiders hired former New York Giants assistant Al Holcomb as their senior defensive assistant on Wednesday, reports NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Holcomb, 55, began his NFL coaching career with the Giants as a defensive quality control coach from 2009 to 2010. He then served as a defensive assistant for the Giants from 2011 to 2012. Holcomb went on to become the linebackers coach for the Carolina Panthers from 2013 to 2017. His highest-profile role came in 2018, when he served as defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals.
He returned to the Panthers in 2020 as defensive running game coordinator (2020–2022) and also served as interim defensive coordinator in 2022 during his second stint with the team. Most recently, Holcomb was a senior defensive assistant for the Buffalo Bills in 2023 before being promoted to linebackers coach for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Holcomb will now join the Raiders’ staff under new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard for the 2026 season.
Leonard, another ex-Giant who was promoted from defensive line coach/run game coordinator, is entering his first year in the coordinator role.
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The hiring adds valuable experience to the Raiders’ defense, which struggled against the pass in 2025—allowing opponents a league-high (or near-high) completion percentage of 68.5% on 524 attempts, resulting in 3,644 passing yards. However, Las Vegas performed well against the run, holding opponents to just 3.9 yards per carry, the second-lowest average in the NFL last season.
Holcomb’s background, particularly in run defense and linebacker development, should provide a steady, experienced voice for the unit.
