Klint Kubiak Comments on Ditching Seahawks for Raiders
The Seattle Seahawks are the best team in football, arguably. The Las Vegas Raiders are the worst, but Klint Kubiak is joining. He's leaving the Seahawks after one year coordinating a very good offense for them. After the Super Bowl this weekend, he will be the next coach of the Raiders.
Ironically, he is replacing Pete Carroll after just one year with Las Vegas. Carroll coached the Seahawks before Kubiak arrived. Kubiak was seen as one of the top coordinators in this cycle, but he's still making the leap from elite team to the one picking first overall.
The reporting largely said that Las Vegas was "expected to hire" Kubiak once the Super Bowl was done. His comments and those of his fellow coaches and players do nothing to disprove that, essentially confirming his exit.
Klint Kubiak talks Raiders job
For at least one more week, Klint Kubiak is all about the Seattle Seahawks. He's fully focused on the Seahawks and the Super Bowl, though some coordinators (Kyle Shanahan, Shane Steichen) have lost the big game before leaving for a head coaching job.
"I can just tell you I'm all-in on the Seahawks, I'm all-in on this game," Kubiak said during Super Bowl Opening Night via ESPN, "and whatever comes next, we'll deal with that on Monday." Without saying as much, he said the Raiders will be on deck after the big game on Sunday.
Despite plenty of questions about his new job, Kubiak wanted to keep the focus on his current team and the task ahead of them. "I'm just focusing on (...) coaching this game," he said. "I've been working my whole life to coach in this game, and that's where our focus is."
Mike Macdonald has yet to retain an offensive coordinator in his two seasons (going into his third next year) with the Seattle Seahawks. He said it was "a little bittersweet because he's such a great person and a great coach." He added that he enjoys seeing coordinators get the chance, like he once did, to go to the "next level."
Sam Darnold discusses Kubiak's exit
Sam Darnold has played under Klint Kubiak twice. When Darnold was a backup with the San Francisco 49ers, Kubiak was an offensive coach. Now, he's Darnold's coordinator, and he helped him keep up the magic he discovered in Minnesota.
"He's unbelievable," said Darnold. "He wakes up at insane hours. He gets to the facility at 4, 4:30 in the morning, and he's there later than anyone. He's a grinder. He loves football. And he's very honest, and he's very forthcoming with his players, (which) myself and a lot of the guys really appreciate."
Right now, Kubiak and Darnold will try to win the Super Bowl. That would give Kubiak a major feather in his cap. It would also allow Darnold to truly come back from all the narratives. He was considered a bust early on in his NFL career. Winning a title would be one incredible turnaround.
"You get ready for those things in the summer, things that are important to you," Kubiak said. "And then, your résumé is always on your film. That's something my dad always taught me -- you better not be sitting in your office thinking about interview questions. You better be thinking about how to win the game because that's what it comes down to, is what the silent tape says."
Kubiak cannot be officially hired by the Raiders until the Seahawks are done. But for all intents and purposes, he will be the next coach for Las Vegas. He'll be tasked with turning them around after the Carroll-Geno Smith combination did not work out.
