HENDERSON, Nev. — The Pete Carroll era with the Las Vegas Raiders is over after just one year.
The team fired the 74-year-old coach Monday after it went 3-14 this season, which ended with a 14-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Before the game, Las Vegas had lost 10 straight and already had wrapped up the No. 1 selection in the 2026 NFL draft.
Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a statement that general manager John Spytek, who was hired along with Carroll last year, will lead football operations with minority owner Tom Brady, including the search for the team’s next coach.
“Together they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals,” Davis said in the statement.
Now, Las Vegas will search for its sixth head coach since 2021. The last coach to be with the organization for at least two seasons is Jon Gruden (2018-21).
“We’re looking for someone to build this the right way and not think we’ve got to produce 10 wins or whatever next year,” Spytek said. “It’d be great to do, when we see teams like the Patriots, [Jaguars] and Bears flip it. I’ve always had a thought that you’re never as good in this league as you think you are, and you’re never as far away as you think you are. And we’re just going to go open-minded.”
For Carroll, it’s the first time he has been fired in his first season since 1994, when the New York Jets moved on from him after going 6-10.
Las Vegas hired Carroll last January on a three-year deal (with a fourth-year option) after he spent a season away from football following his departure from the Seattle Seahawks after 14 seasons and a 137-89 record with the team.
Las Vegas was looking for someone who could establish a strong winning culture after going 4-13 under Antonio Pierce, and Carroll — one of only three coaches to win a Super Bowl and a national title in college (USC) — had the background to do that.
Las Vegas attempted to help Carroll fast-track the rebuilding process by hiring offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, trading for starting quarterback Geno Smith and taking running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
But although the Raiders opened with a win at the New England Patriots, a Week 2 loss to Carroll’s longtime rival, Jim Harbaugh, and the Los Angeles Chargers sent them into a downward spiral.
The Raiders lost by double digits nine times and were held to fewer than 10 points five times. They went 1-5 against AFC West opponents.
“Geno is under contract for next year. We did that because when we traded for him, we liked him,” Spytek said. “I’m not going to get too far into the future right now, I’m day by day, but he’s one of the guys that’s under contract, he’s a quarterback, he played some good football this year, and we’ll make those decisions going forward.”
Las Vegas ranked at the bottom in every major offensive category, including rushing yards per game (77.5). Smith never lived up to Carroll’s expectations, throwing for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns and a league-high 17 interceptions.
Defensively, the philosophies of Carroll and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham didn’t translate to much consistency. Las Vegas was 25th in points allowed (25.4).
During his time in Seattle, Carroll never fired a coach midseason. In November with the Raiders, he fired special teams coordinator Tom McMahon and offensive coordinator Kelly in a span of 16 days.
“I think we have a great opportunity to build this franchise the right way now. We never want to be in this spot again. I never thought I would be in the spot, but we’ve got to be real with where we’re at,” Spytek said. “We have to understand the opportunity that we have in front of us, and our focus and our vision is on everything going forward now.”
