The Las Vegas Raiders have parted ways with head coach Pete Carroll after just one season, ending a brief and turbulent tenure that concluded with a 3-14 record and the franchise holding the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Raiders owner Mark Davis confirmed on Monday that general manager John Spytek, who was hired alongside Carroll last year, will remain in place and oversee football operations with minority owner Tom Brady as the organization searches for its next head coach. Davis said in a statement: “Together, they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals.”
The team announced the decision one day after closing the season with a 14-12 upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite that victory, the Raiders finished with its worst record in franchise history and tied for the league’s poorest mark overall. The Raiders scored the fewest points and gained the fewest total yards in the NFL this season.
Carroll, 74, was hired in January on a three-year contract with a fourth-year option, becoming the oldest head coach in league history. Las Vegas entered the season hoping Carroll’s résumé — which included stops with the Patriots, Jets and Trojans, a Super Bowl title, a national championship at USC, and 14 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks — would help stabilize a franchise coming off a 4-13 campaign. The Raiders attempted to accelerate the rebuild by hiring offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, trading for quarterback Geno Smith, and selecting running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The season opened with promise, as the Raiders won at New England in Week 1; but that optimism faded quickly. After a Week 6 win over Tennessee, Las Vegas did not record another victory, dropping 11 straight games to end the year — the longest single-season losing streak in team history. Geno Smith, who was reunited with Carroll after their time in Seattle, endured the worst full season of his career – throwing for 3,025 yards with 19 touchdowns and a league-high 17 interceptions. The offense ranked last in every major category, including rushing yards per game at 77.5. Jeanty struggled behind an inconsistent offensive line, while defensive inconsistency plagued a unit that allowed 25.4 points per game, ranking 25th in the league.
The dismissal of Carroll marks the first time since 1994 he was let go after just one season, when the Jets parted ways with him following a 6-10 year. He finishes his NFL head coaching career (for now ) with a 173-134-1 record across 19 seasons, tying Jeff Fisher for 16th-most wins in league history.
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