Raiders rev up coaching search with Tom Brady providing input

The Raiders, a day after firing coach Antonio Pierce, revved up their search to find his replacement Wednesday.

The initial net the team cast included a few surprises — former Patriots boss Bill Belichick among them — and showed the influence new minority owner Tom Brady will have on the process.

Raiders owner Mark Davis is leading the search, but Brady is expected to have a huge voice. His pull is one reason why Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson accepted the team’s interview request.

Johnson, who will talk to the Raiders on Friday, has multiple suitors and is expected to be selective. He is also talking to the Bears and Patriots, two teams with young quarterbacks in place.

The Raiders don’t have a franchise passer to build around. So the fact that they scored an interview with Johnson — who oversaw the NFL’s highest-scoring offense this season — is a win.

The Raiders also requested to talk to Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken on Wednesday.

Priorities

The team is expected to prioritize experience and a proven track record in its search. A young offensive mind like Johnson or Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen could also be appealing.

That means the Raiders have interest in former Titans coach Mike Vrabel, Brady’s former Patriots teammate, former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and Belichick, now the coach at North Carolina.

Brady and Belichick, who won six Super Bowls together as quarterback and coach, respectively, in New England, have spoken about the Raiders’ opening, according to a league source.

But the talks between the two are likely more about information gathering, according to another league source. Brady could just be picking the brain of one of the most respected coaches in NFL history rather than targeting him as Pierce’s replacement.

Belichick took the North Carolina job Dec. 11 after leaving the Patriots following the 2023 season. He was 266-121 in his 24-year tenure in New England and has the third-most wins in NFL history with 302.

His contract with the Tar Heels includes a $10 million buyout if he leaves prior to June 1, 2025.

Interview schedule

Johnson, Glenn and Spagnuolo made sense as the Raiders’ initial interview requests.

The three coach on teams that have a bye the first round of the playoffs. That means they are available to conduct virtual interviews for coaching openings through this weekend.

Teams will then not be allowed to have in-person meetings with Johnson, Glenn or Spagnuolo until their teams are eliminated or, if their teams reach the Super Bowl, the week after the conference championship games.

Coen, Monken and other coaching candidates on teams playing this weekend are not allowed to conduct virtual interviews this week.

Like Johnson, Glenn, Monken and Spagnuolo are expected to be in the mix for multiple openings. The Jaguars, Jets and Saints, in addition to the Bears and Patriots, are the other teams looking for a new coach.

Johnson, 38, is an innovative offensive mind and has been in his current role since 2022. The Lions have been a top-five scoring offense in all three of his seasons at the helm.

Glenn, 52, has been in charge of Detroit’s defense since 2021. His unit gave up the seventh-fewest points in the NFL this season despite dealing with injuries to key players like defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, cornerback Carlton Davis and linebacker Alex Anzalone.

Spagnuolo, 65, has fielded five top-10 scoring defenses and won three Super Bowls in his six seasons in Kansas City. He has coached in the NFL since 1999. He was the Giants defensive coordinator when the team pulled off a massive upset in Super Bowl 42 over the Patriots and Brady.

Spagnuolo was also the Rams coach for three seasons from 2009 to 2011 and the Giants interim coach for four games in 2017. He has an 11-41 record in the NFL.

Monken, 58, is in his second season with the Ravens and is credited with elevating quarterback Lamar Jackson, who threw for a career-high 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns this season.

He was the offensive coordinator at Georgia from 2020 to 2022, where he coached Raiders tight end Brock Bowers for two seasons. Under Monken, Bowers won the first of his two John Mackey Awards as the nation’s best tight end in 2022.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.