It was not long ago when I talked about the Las Vegas Raiders needing to hit a home run with this next regime. The amount of turnover is embarrassing and is not something that good organizations do. Since 2021, they’ve had four head coaches, which is unsustainable to even having success. But this is a new era of Raiders football and fans should be extremely optimistic about the decisions they’ve made to hire John Spytek and Pete Carroll, because these are home run hits. Here’s why I feel this way.

Pete Carroll is a Slam Dunk Hire

Life under Josh McDaniels was tough and the vibes were as low as low can get. Antonio Pierce came in and changed those vibes and made playing football fun again and to the point where the players spoke out and wanted him back. However, the Raiders went 4-13 and finished in the basement of the league and while Pierce was a good motivator, he showed how much of a rookie head coach he was. Now, the Raiders have a much more proven commodity in Pete Carroll.

The Raiders missed out on Ben Johnson, which was the top tier choice for a coach. But they pivoted and they felt he was the best man for the job out there. Carroll has been around football for a very long time. Also, he’s a proven winner.

Carroll has a career record of 170-120-1, good enough for a 58.6% winning percentage. He only has four losing seasons, so this is inspiring for a Raiders team who has had just two winning seasons since reaching the Super Bowl in 2002. What’s motivating was his press conference.

Carroll is wasting no time and is ready to chomp at the bit and get to work. During his introductory press conference he said,

“We’re gonna start right now. Maxx in the back there, send the message man. We’re gonna get this thing rolling as soon as possible.”

That’s encouraging. He’s ready to go to work and get these players ready to work. This is also a home run due to the Maxx Crosby factor. Crosby was questioning his future with the organization, but is thrilled with the hire. Crosby has a competitive nature and wants to win and win now. Also, the biggest factor was the amount of turnover. Bringing Patrick Graham back as defensive coordinator helps ensure that the Raiders will have familiar faces and not start over. Also, Carroll is building his staff with familiar faces that’s he’s worked with previously. John Glenn is the LB coach, which he served under Carroll for six seasons in Seattle.

Carroll is a Super Bowl Champion and a winner and had a very successful tenure with the Seattle Seahawks. It’s time to restore the Raiders franchise and allow them to reach new heights.

Spytek is the Perfect Leader

I have nothing bad to say about Tom Telesco. Telesco built good rosters for the Chargers and he even drafted well last season for the Raiders. With them moving on and needing their third manager in the last three seasons, bringing in the right man for the job was a must. They didn’t just hit a home run, but a Grand Slam. John Spytek is a home run hire and his connection to Tom Brady certainly helps. Brady is familiar with Spytek, as he had a huge hand in luring the legendary Patriot to Tampa Bay. Spytek also had an eye for talent and his fingerprints are all over that roster for the Bucs. Now, it’s time to draft and develop the Raiders.

When you look at the core of the a Bucs team, they were all draft selections that they were able to build the team around. That’s what Spytek needs to do here. The biggest need is a quarterback. At his press conference, Spytek shed some light on that situation.

“I admired how they started in Seattle with the quarterback position. They traded, drafted guys, and found their way to Russell Wilson”.

Well, the Raiders pick sixth overall, so if they want to draft their QB of the future, they certainly can be aggressive and trade up to land him. What stood out the most, was what Spytek said about what he wants to bring to the Raiders and the type of players he envisions.

A vision for greatness. #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/MWwS1X4Kbe

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 30, 2025

One thing he said was “your character will become your fate”. Bringing in the right person with the right attitude will be crucial. Having guys that are about the shield and not themselves. That’s what will make this team different and a culture shift.

This speaks volumes. It may just be words, but that’s words of optimism to me and a home run hit for the Raiders. This screams a leader of men and the right man for the job to help get this organization back to its winning ways.