While he was expected to be named the Las Vegas Raiders' new offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury apparently had other ideas in mind as he withdrew his name from consideration to be the Raiders' next OC, according his agent. Kingsbury's decision came after both sides considered it a formality that he was coming to Las Vegas, according to The Athletic. Instead, he joined the Commanders as their offensive coordinator.
The Raiders, however, have found a replacement for the OC job.
With Kingsbury no longer in play, the Raiders hired Luke Getsy to be their new OC, the team announced Tuesday. Getsy, who previously served as OC in Chicago, was considered a strong candidate during the initial interview process, per ESPN. The team had also reportedly spoken to former Chiefs/Commanders OC Eric Bieniemy and Pep Hamilton, who in 2022 served as the Texans' OC.
Chicago averaged 21.2 points per game, ranked 18th in the NFL during Getsy's two seasons calling plays for the Bears since 2022. They ranked second rushing yards per game (141.1) and third in run percentage (48.7%) across the entire league across the last two seasons.
The Raiders interviewed a couple big names for this job. NFL Media reports that Vegas interviewed current UCLA head coach Chip Kelly at least twice, but had reportedly targeted Kingsbury for the job. The 44-year-old reportedly interviewed with several teams for their offensive coordinator openings, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers.
When the Raiders fired Josh McDaniels in the middle of last season, Antonio Pierce stepped in and immediately improved the defense. From Weeks 9-18, the Raiders allowed an average of 16 points per game, which led the league. As for the offense, Vegas finished with the sixth-worst unit in yards per game (289.5), and 10th-worst in points per game (19.5).
The Raiders have several questions to answer this offseason, such as who will be the starting quarterback and if Josh Jacobs will re-sign with the club. Now, at least, they know who their offensive coordinator is.
