In what started as a hectic offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders, the team is finally beginning to finalize their staff under new head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek.
After retaining Patrick Graham and Tom McMahon, as well as hiring Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to serve as offensive coordinator, the staff is starting to take shape. Key position coaches like Rob Leonard (defensive line) and Ricky Manning Jr. (cornerbacks) are reportedly staying as well, and the team added two highly-respected members of Carroll's staff in Seattle.
According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, the Raiders made the following move on Monday:
The #Raiders have hired Pete Carroll's son, Brennan Carroll, to be their offensive line coach, according to @BruceFeldmanCFB. Brennan was the offensive coordinator and OL coach at the University of Washington in 2024. He was the Seahawks assistant OL coach from 2015-19.
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) February 3, 2025
While some Raiders fans may feel a certain way about Pete Carroll bringing his son along for a position on the coaching staff, I would remind those folks that Antonio Pierce had his son on the staff in 2024, albeit in a less important capacity.
The NFL coaching circle is all about connections, and if your son is a good coach, you should hire him. Below is just a sample of what his resume looks like:
— Tristen Kuhn (@KuhnTristen) February 3, 2025New #Raiders OL coach, son of Pete Carroll. Served as Asst. Seahawks OL/RGC from 2015-2019, rankings were:
2015: 14th OL, 3rd Run
2016: 32nd OL, 21st Run
2017: 27th OL, 21st Run
2018: 15th OL, 1st Run
2019: 13th OL, 4th Run
2020: 14th OL, 6th RunUnits at Arizona and… https://t.co/BRXwuj1h1W
The Raiders have some serious talent on the offensive line but the group took a step back last year under James Cregg. Once he was fired at the bye week along with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, the unit thrived under Joe Philbin's guidance.
Brennan Carroll is an established offensive line coach who has had success at multiple stops on multiple levels. If he can bring a semblance of consistency to the team's pass protection and rushing attack, then that would benefit the team greatly.
Keep an eye out for Pete Carroll's other son, Nate, who served as an offensive assistant for him in Seattle. Nate Carroll is currently the passing game coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, which was a much-improved unit in 2024.
