Klint Kubiak and John Spytek kept themselves busy in the best way possible to start the week
The Raiders staff is coming along nicely.
With remarkable speed, the Las Vegas Raiders are assembling their new coaching staff. Klint Kubiak, stepping in as a first-time head coach, seems to know exactly what his vision is. Then again, he did warn everyone that he already had a list of guys he wanted.
The coordinators are hired: Rob Leonard will serve as defensive coordinator, leading the defensive unit and making play calls. Andrew Janocko is the offensive coordinator, overseeing the offense and devising the offensive strategy. Joe DeCamillis is the special teams coordinator, managing all aspects of special teams play. Below them, specific position coaches and assistant coordinators still need to be hired, but the staff-building process is moving quickly.
The Raiders made three hires to their coaching staff on Monday
On Monday alone, the Raiders hired three people. Now, we’re not sure exactly what their responsibilities or roles will be, but we know their names and their previous roles. They hired former Seattle Seahawks run game coordinator and offensive advisor Rick Dennison, who has a relationship with the Kubiak family that goes back over 40 years. Dennison played with Klint’s father, Gary Kubiak, in Denver, coached with Gary for a long time, and has also worked with Klint Kubiak in Denver, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Seattle.
They also brought on safeties coach Matt Robinson and defensive line coach Travis Smith to bolster the defense. These sideline roles are vital, even if less visible than coordinators. Most importantly, these hires are strong teachers—exactly what Kubiak wanted.
“We’re trying to assemble a great team of teachers,” Kubiak told reporters last week. “We’ve got to get some really good teachers and coaches here, and get us all on the same page, and get our players going in the same direction. That communication is really important. I think if we can put together a great staff here and get our players up to date on these playbooks and the expectations we have of them, then the results will speak for themselves.”
The Raiders are close to finalizing their staff, aiming to finish before the NFL Draft Combine.
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