The coming days will be critical in shaping the Raiders‘ head coaching search. The list of candidates to line up a second interview with the team has grown. 
Mike McDaniel is set to conduct an in-person interview with Vegas today. The same will be true tomorrow for Ejiro Evero. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports, both Jesse Minter and Jeff Hafley have arranged a Raiders follow-up. Minter’s interview will take place tomorrow, while Hafley’s is set for Wednesday.
Throughout the hiring cycle, both defensive coordinators have loomed as strong HC candidates. Minter has been with the Chargers for the past two years, while Hafley has led the Packers’ defense for the same duration. Their respective stocks have risen over that span.
Minter had experience as a defensive coordinator at three different college programs before he followed Jim Harbaugh from Michigan to Los Angeles. His success at the NFL level produced an interview request from each of the first nine teams around the NFL to have a HC opening. Minter, 42, is set to line up a second interview with the Browns and further interest could be coming soon.
Prior to his Packers stint, Hafley spent four years as the head coach at Boston College. He has worked as a position coach and D-coordinator at both the college and NFL levels, so taking charge of a team in the pros would represent a logical next step. The 46-year-old led Green Bay to a strong finish in total and scoring defense in 2024, and his unit enjoyed a productive start to the 2025 campaign before it was hit hard by injuries. In recent days, Hafley has been mentioned as a potential frontrunner for the Dolphins’ vacancy.
Questions have been raised about how attractive the Raiders’ opening is compared to others around the league. Indeed, it was learned over the weekend that Kevin Stefanski withdrew from Vegas’ search not long after conducting an initial interview with the team. Buffalo’s decision to fire Sean McDermott means there are eight vacancies at the moment. It will be interesting to see if the Raiders manage to land one of the top candidates still on the market.
Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is an updated look at where things stand for Vegas:
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/18
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Panthers): To conduct second interview 1/20
- Brian Flores, defensive coordinator (Vikings): Mentioned as candidate
- Jeff Hafley, defensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/15; to conduct second interview 1/21
- John Harbaugh, former head coach (Ravens): Contacted
- Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Interviewed 1/8
- Klay Kubiak, offensive coordinator (49ers): Interviewed 1/18
- Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/9
- Mike LaFleur, offensive coordinator (Rams): To interview 1/16
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): To interview 1/19
- Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Chargers): Interviewed 1/14; to conduct second interview 1/20
- Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/8
- Nate Scheelhaase, pass game coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/16
- Chris Shula, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/16
- Kevin Stefanski, former head coach (Browns): Interviewed 1/8; withdrew from search
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Interviewed 1/7