The Las Vegas Raiders are working toward finalizing an agreement to make Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak their next head coach, a person with knowledge of the discussions said Sunday.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no contract was in place and no announcement can be made until after the NFC champion Seahawks (16-3) and the AFC champion New England Patriots (17-3) meet in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Kubiak interviewed with the Raiders on Saturday for the second time and appeared in recent days to be their primary target.
The 38-year-old has never been a head coach, but he would be the third one in three seasons for the Raiders and fifth (not counting interim coaches) since they moved to Las Vegas in 2020. He succeeds Pete Carroll, who went 3-14 in one season in Las Vegas after a storied run with Seattle that included two Super Bowl appearances and one championship.
Kubiak likely will be counted on to mold Fernando Mendoza, who led Indiana to a 16-0 season capped by winning the College Football Playoff national championship last month, into the franchise quarterback the organization has long sought. The Raiders own the top pick in this April’s NFL draft, and they are expected to use that selection on the Heisman Trophy winner.