Pete Carroll confirmed Tom Brady was “intricately involved” in the Raiders’ coaching search. The hiring of ex-Brady Michigan teammate and Buccaneers staffer John Spytek confirmed the part-owner’s role in the GM pursuit. This plan may have been Brady’s backup, as reports of a long-running Ben Johnson push emerged.
Brady began scouting Johnson when he covered a Week 9 Lions-Packers game for FOX, and he made a big push to bring the former Detroit OC to Las Vegas. A big offer was believed to have been in play prior to Johnson signing on with the Bears. Although we may never know how closely the Raiders were to landing Johnson, Mark Davis attempted to provide some pushback to the notion he turned them down.
While it can be safely assumed that had Johnson wanted to be the Raiders’ next HC he would be, Davis said (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez) he did not offer the job to the high-profile play-caller. Instead of a potential Johnson-Lance Newmark pairing, it will be Spytek and Carroll running the show.
Going from a rising 38-year-old OC to the oldest HC ever hired, as Carroll is 73, represents a massive approach shift. But the Raiders are understandably interested in adding an experienced HC; Carroll installing a strong culture figures to be important after the instability in Vegas since Jon Gruden‘s forced resignation.
It is fairly clear Brady will have a significant say in the Raiders’ dealings moving forward. Davis already declared the all-time QB great-turned-announcer/owner will lead the way as the Raiders search for an answer at that position, and Brady effectively ran the HC and GM searches. Carroll is accustomed to holding final-say power; he was in that role above John Schneider for 14 years in Seattle. The new Raiders HC, however, said (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed) he and Spytek will work together in running the AFC West franchise.
Carroll had turned some control over to Schneider during his final years as Seahawks HC, but his contract gave him veto power. Tafur and Reed confirm Carroll’s Raiders deal does not include such power, which will make Spytek a more important figure in Vegas. That said, Carroll added that the duo will work with Davis and the Raiders’ minority owners regarding football decisions as well. This can certainly be interpreted as Brady continuing to have a significant say in how the Raiders operate.
Davis used a head coach-centric blueprint during Gruden’s second stay with the team,…