Brian Daboll Interviews With Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of a head coaching search, and on Saturday, they interviewed former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll. Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and Daboll were together in New England on two separate occasions. Daboll was a defensive assistant in 2000 and 2001, and then became the receivers coach from 2002 through 2006. He returned as tight ends coach from 2013 to 2016. In all, Daboll won five Super Bowl rings there.

Daboll became the head coach of the New York Giants in 2022, and the team finished 9-7-1 and won a Wild Card playoff game. In his tenure with the Giants, Daboll finished 20-40- 1 and was fired midway through the 2025 season after 2-8 starts. Before his time with the New York Jets, Daboll was the OC and QB coach for the Buffalo Bills from 2018-2021.

Building Around His Players

One of Daboll’s most prominent traits is the ability to build his offense around his players. From his time coordinating elite units in New England to transforming Buffalo’s offense around Josh Allen, Daboll has shown he doesn’t force systems—he builds them around talent. In Buffalo, he helped turn Allen from a raw, inaccurate prospect into an MVP-caliber quarterback. Later, with the Giants, he squeezed playoff-level production from a limited roster, tailoring the offense to what Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley did best.

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If hired by the Raiders, he would build the offense around Ashton Jeanty, Brock Bowers, and likely Fernando Mendoza.

Work With the QB

The Raiders have the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft and will most likely draft Mendoza, the quarterback from Indiana. His background working with  Brady, Josh Allen, and multiple young passers gives him instant credibility in a locker room and a practical edge in building weekly game plans.

For a Raiders team that has cycled through quarterbacks and offensive coordinators, Daboll could finally provide continuity—installing a system that grows year to year rather than resetting every season.

What Went Wrong in New York

While Daboll did well in New England and Buffalo, his offenses struggled in New York after his first season. The Giants’ offense ranked near the bottom of the NFL in scoring in multiple seasons — particularly in 2024 and 2025. 

Instead of building around young talent efficiently, the offense became predictable or ineffective in critical moments, especially late in games.

One of the most glaring issues was New York’s inability to close out games. In his defense, there were some roster issues and many injuries.

Daboll might not be a good hire for the Raiders; blown leads and decision-making problems aren’t ideal for a head coach. Some coaches are made to be nothing more than coordinators. He may have learned some things in New York; only time will tell.