Raiders’ coaching search critical in busy Las Vegas market with No. 1 pick, $90M cap space

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) - That the Las Vegas Raiders are going through a coaching search itself is not new - they are in the hiring process for the third year in a row - but the circumstances surrounding this one makes choosing the right person especially important.

The person who takes over will have the rare luxury of having the No. 1 overall draft pick at his disposal and nearly $90 million in salary cap space.

So a proper rebuild, which has not taken place since the club moved to Las Vegas in 2020, could finally happen.

For a club that hasn't won a playoff game since the 2002 season when the then-Oakland Raiders played in the Super Bowl, this an opportunity general manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady can't afford to squander.

"Are there two more important hires in an organization than a quarterback and a head coach?" Spytek asked, rhetorically. "I think we probably all would agree that those two men usually steer the ship, and that's out in front of us right now."

Even more than having the top pick of the NFL draft for just the second time, the Raiders also need to keep up with the other Las Vegas sports teams.

Owner Mark Davis' other team, the Las Vegas Aces, have won three of the past four WNBA championships. The NHL's Vegas Golden Knights have made the playoffs all but one season and captured the Stanley Cup three years ago.

Plus, MLB's Athletics are scheduled to arrive in 2028 with what looks like a dynamic young lineup, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he expects a decision to be made this year whether Las Vegas gets a team.

Though the NFL clearly stands above all other North American leagues, Las Vegas residents have plenty of sports and entertainment options. There were troubling signs this past season of the Raiders' hold on the community as they were putting together their fourth consecutive losing season.

Often, even when a visiting team brings a lot of fans, the split between supporters at Allegiant Stadium is close to 50-50. But the Broncos might as well have been playing at Empower Field at Mile High with all the orange in the stands in their Dec. 7 meeting, and there were plenty of empty seats for the final two games against the New York Giants and Kansas City.

Packing in fans isn't as much of a problem for the Golden Knights and Aces. The Aces are the only WNBA team to sell out their season-tickets allotment, and they did it twice.

"I think the challenge that you face is Vegas wants to win," said Brendan Bussmann, managing partner of B Global, a Las Vegas-based international consulting firm. "We've seen it with the Golden Knights. We've seen it with the Aces. It was helpful with the Raiders when they came here with the NFL being king would be part of that effort.

"Part of it also is making sure you have Las Vegas Raiders fans in the seats at Allegiant Stadium. But when the product doesn't match it, that's where you bring in a bunch of people that while we appreciate their dollars and visiting our city, we'd rather have them visit our city and not be in our stadium. So the overall support is the problem, but also the product you put on the field."

The Raiders are in the second week of looking for a coach to replace Pete Carroll, who went 3-14 in his lone season. They have conducted several interviews and requested to speak with other candidates as well.

Once a coach is in place, the Raiders will more fully turn their attention to free agency and the draft.

Using the top pick to take Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza could be a step in making the franchise competitive. He will try to lead Indiana to the national championship when the Hoosiers play Miami in the college football title game Monday night.

BetMGM Sportsbook lists Mendoza as the overwhelming minus-1600 favorite to go first in the draft, so maybe there will be Fernando Mania Las Vegas style.

"All roads lead to Fernando at this point," Bussmann said.

Owning the top pick is one way to attract a high-end coach, but not the only one.

"We have capital," Spytek said. "We have one of the greatest buildings, if not the greatest building in the NFL. There's a lot to be excited about here, and it is going to be my responsibility to lead this up and set this organization on a course of sustained success."