{"id":878881,"date":"2026-04-30T17:51:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T17:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/878881\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T17:51:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T17:51:29","slug":"despite-being-a-bronco-for-life-gary-kubiak-thrilled-with-son-klint-taking-over-rival-raiders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/878881\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite being a ‘Bronco for life,’ Gary Kubiak thrilled with son Klint taking over rival Raiders"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Klint Kubiak agreed in February to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, his father couldn\u2019t resist offering a quip.<\/p>\n

After all, Gary Kubiak spent his entire NFL playing career as a quarterback with longtime AFC West rival Denver, was the Broncos\u2019 offensive coordinator for 11 years and was head coach when they won their most recent Super Bowl in the 2015 season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, \u2018You know how hard this is for your dad after being a Bronco all these years and a Bronco for life,\u2019\u2019\u2019 Gary told The Denver Gazette from his home in Plantersville, Texas.<\/p>\n

Obviously, though, the dad was ecastic when his son was named to coach the Raiders. The official announcement came Feb. 9, the day after Seattle, with Klint as offensive coordinator, defeated New England 29-13 in Super Bowl LX at Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.<\/p>\n

\"\"Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak speaks during a news conference on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in San Jose, Calif., ahead of Super Bowl 60 between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. (AP Photo\/Brynn Anderson)<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s only 32 of those jobs in the NFL and when you get a chance to go chase that dream, you go do it,\u2019\u2019 Gary said of his son, who takes over a team that went 3-14 in 2025 and has had four straight losing seasons. \u201cThat\u2019s a special honor. \u2026 I\u2019m really excited. The task ahead is monumental, but that\u2019s part of being a head coach in the National Football League.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gary was a backup to future Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway on the Broncos from 1983-91 and later was their offensive coordinator from 1995-2005. That included winning Super Bowls in the 1997 and 1998 seasons with head coach Mike Shanahan.<\/p>\n

Gary went on to be Houston\u2019s head coach from 2006-2013 before taking over as Denver\u2019s head man from 2015-16. On Feb. 7, 2016, his Broncos defeated Carolina 24-10 to win Super Bowl 50 at Levi\u2019s Stadium.<\/p>\n

\"\"Denver Broncos\u0092 Peyton Manning (18) celebrates with head coach Gary Kubiak after the NFL Super Bowl 50 football game Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, in Santa Clara, Calif. The Broncos beat the Panthers 24-10. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)<\/p>\n

It was 10 years and one day later that Gary was back in Santa Clara to see his son win a ring with the Seahawks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really crazy because it was 10 years (later) in the same stadium that we won it,\u2019\u2019 Gary said. \u201cSo that was amazing. I\u2019m not good at watching those games. I walked around the stadium most of the day, glancing at TVs. But it was great to be a part of it. I\u2019m just very happy for him and his family to share that special moment. I know what that\u2019s like.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the game, the father, 64, embraced his son, 39, on the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was able to get down there with my wife (Rhonda) and one of my sons, Klay (offensive coordinator for San Francisco), was with me,\u2019\u2019 Gary said. \u201cKlein (a son who is a Dallas scout) had to work. But we were able to get on the field with Klint\u2019s wife (Tessa) and his (four) kids and take a few pictures.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Klint held his introductory press conference as Raiders coach, he touched upon that moment. Klint sat in the stands at Super Bowl 50.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust to share that moment with (his father then) is something I know I\u2019ll never forget,\u2019\u2019 Klint said. \u201cAnd then to see him after (Super Bowl LX) on the same field and just see the smile on his face, was a great memory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Las Vegas Raiders new head coach Klint Kubiak, third from left, poses with from left, Mike Haynes, Howie Long, Jim Plunkett, general manager John Spytek and Charles Woodson during an introductory news conference at the NFL football team\u2019s training facility Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo\/Ian Maule)<\/p>\n

At the time of the Broncos\u2019 win in Super Bowl 50, Klint was wide receivers coach at Kansas, and was climbing the ladder as a coach. But Klint said he initially didn\u2019t want to follow in his father\u2019s footsteps.<\/p>\n

Klint was a solid safety at Colorado State from 2005-09, being a captain as a senior and earning an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl. He had pro aspirations as a player.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want to be a coach,\u2019\u2019 Klint said March 31 at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix. \u201cI saw the hours that (his father) worked, and I loved playing. I was going to play in the NFL for 20 years, like everybody probably dreams of, like we all did. But then I graduated from college and got into it as a graduate assistant, and just really fell in love with being a coach.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Air Force wide receiver Victor Thompson loses control of the ball as he is hit by Colorado State defensive back Klint Kubiak in the fourth quarter of Air Force\u2019s 24-21 victory in a football game at Air Force Academy, Colo., on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006. Kubiak was called for pass interference on the play. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\n

Klint started as a graduate assistant and offensive assistant at Texas A&M from 2010-12. Then it was on to the NFL with Minnesota as an offensive quality control coach from 2013-14 before his one-year stint at Kansas. Then he was a Broncos offensive assistant from 2016-18, serving one season under his father and two under then-head coach Vance Joseph.<\/p>\n

Father and son were back on the same coaching staff with the Vikings in 2019, with Gary as assistant head coach and offensive advisor and Klint as quarterbacks coach. In 2020, Gary was the team\u2019s offensive coordinator and Klint remained quarterbacks coach. And in 2021, after Gary retired, Klint took over as Minnesota\u2019s offensive coordinator.<\/p>\n

Klint went on to be Denver\u2019s passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2022, San Francisco passing game coordinator in 2023 and offensive coordinator for New Orleans in 2024 before heading to Seattle last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if you ever know,\u2019\u2019 Gary said when asked when he thought his son could be head-coaching material. \u201cThere\u2019s an old saying that, \u2018How do you know when you\u2019re ready to be a head coach?\u2019 I don\u2019t know if you\u2019re ever ready with what you take on. There\u2019s a responsibility you take on with the many hats you have to wear. It is extremely difficult. But he has a dream like anybody else, and I\u2019m looking forward to seeing him battle this thing out. \u2026 He\u2019s working with some really good people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gary is impressed with his son\u2019s coaching staff and with team management. General manager John Spytek was a Denver scout from 2013-15, spending his final season there with Kubiak. And last week the Raiders selected Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.<\/p>\n

\"\"From left to right, Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek, first-round draft pick Fernando Mendoza and head coach Klint Kubiak pose for a photo during an NFL football news conference Friday, April 24, 2026, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo\/Candice Ward)<\/p>\n

Gary long has been impressed with his son\u2019s work ethic.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just loves the game,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cHe\u2019s an early bird and a late-night guy. He loves to work and he loves the league and to put in the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former NFL quarterback Kyle Sloter also made note of Klint\u2019s work ethic. Sloter, after starring at Northern Colorado, was in training camp with the Broncos in 2017 after signing as an undrafted rookie free agent and worked closely with Klint. Sloter later had stints with him on the Vikings in 2019 and 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always got the sense Klint was the type who never wanted a handout,\u2019\u2019 said Sloter, who considers Klint a \u201cgreat friend\u201d and continues to talk to him several times a year. \u201cHe\u2019s not the type who wants the nepotism of, \u2018Hey my father was a coach in the NFL.\u2019 He\u2019s never taken that approach, and I feel like he grinds and works harder than almost everybody I\u2019ve ever been around from a coaching perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"From left, Denver Broncos offensive assistant Klint Kubiak, his father and head coach Gary, and outside linebackers coach Fred Pagac take part in drills during the team\u2019s NFL football training camp Friday, July 29, 2016 in Englewood, Colo. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\n

Sloter has been retired as a player since a 2023 stint in the USFL spring league and lives in the Atlanta area. Having worked with both Gary and Klint Kubiak, he has seen their relationship up close.<\/p>\n

\u201cFamily is everything to them,\u2019\u2019 Sloter said. \u201cThey have a very, very strong relationship. They obviously are communicating all the time. And when you have a resource like that, Klint knows it would be foolish not to bounce ideas off (his father). They are extremely close and it\u2019s been great to work with both of them. And I\u2019m super happy for Klint and where he\u2019s been able to take his coaching career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former NFL tackle Ryan Harris played for Gary Kubiak on the Texans from 2012-13 and with the Broncos in 2015. He knows Klint and expects him to draw plenty on his father as he becomes a head coach for the first time.<\/p>\n

\u201cGary Kubiak is one of the great communicators and critical thinkers as a head coach I\u2019ve ever had and there\u2019s no doubt that\u2019ll give his son a leap ahead of the other first-time head coaches with that knowledge to draw upon,\u201d Harris said.<\/p>\n

Klint said he relies plenty on advice from his father, and that will continue with the Raiders.<\/p>\n

\u201cI talk to him almost every day about everything from asking questions about scheme, about the draft, about how to assemble the hitting tee in our garage for my kids,\u2019\u2019 Klint said at the owners meetings. \u201cHe\u2019s my dad. We talk about everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s usually about football.<\/p>\n

\"\"Klint Kubiak, left, passing game coordinator for the Denver Broncos, chats with quarterback Russell Wilson as he takes part in drills at the NFL football team\u2019s voluntary veteran minicamp Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at the team\u2019s headquarters in Englewood, Colo. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talk about a lot of things not involving football and then things tend to get back to football,\u2019\u2019 Gary said. \u201cBut we talk all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Come this season, Gary doesn\u2019t expect to attend many Raiders games since he is \u201cnot real good at going to games.\u201d He will mostly watch them at his home in Plantersville.<\/p>\n

The NFL schedule will come out in mid-May, with dates becoming known for the Broncos\u2019 two games in 2026 against the Raiders. Stay tuned to see if Gary has any more quips for his son as those games approach.<\/p>\n


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