After the resignation of Jon Gruden, the Las Vegas Raiders are now in the market for a new coach to lead their team. Even with their strong start to the 2021 season, it will be interesting to see what general manager Mike Mayock and owner Mark Davis prioritize in their next HC option – experience or potential.

Gruden resigned October 11 after new misogynistic, homophobic, and racist comments were found in leaked 2011 emails and comprised into a scathing New York Times piece. Revealing the comments Gruden made about commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith (among other targets) prompted entities like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring of Honor and the Madden 2022 video game to remove any references to him.

For the Raiders, they must find a suitable HC for this team and help right the ship in an incredibly-tough division – here are three of the best candidates to fill that role.

Brian Daboll

Buffalo Bills – OC

Bringing in one of the hotter names in past seasons on the offensive side of the ball would help unlock Derek Carr, and Brian Daboll has proven that he can help turn quarterbacks into stars – just ask Josh Allen.

For Daboll, his name has been near the top of best candidate lists for over a year now, as his sustained offensive success with the Buffalo Bills has them in the driver’s seat in the AFC East divisional race.

The Raiders have a few intriguing pieces in their offense, and Daboll would do wonders for a group that seems to be consistently underachieving. Plus, he controls a room well and looks to have earned the respect of all of the players that he works with, a few pluses for a team looking to add consistency and establish a long-term solution at HC.

Todd Bowles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DC

The lone option on this list with previous experience is Todd Bowles, who currently is enjoying a cushy role leading the defense for the defending Super Bowl champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But Bowles has a ton left in the coaching tank, and he deserves another shot at leading a team, making the Raiders a perfect opportunity.

Being defensively-minded could put him behind a few offensive coaches, but his stability and familiarity with what it takes to be a leader is not something many upstart candidates can offer to teams. As the Raiders cobble together their list of options, Bowles should be near the top of their list.

Eric Bieniemy

Kansas City Chiefs – OC

The hot commodity and favorite is Kansas City’s Eric Bieniemy, who has been the most talked-about coordinator to not earn an HC opportunity yet.

As the Chiefs continue to produce offensive numbers this league has never seen, the brainchild behind these record-setting games can be tied back to HC Andy Reid and Bieniemy, who have combined to build around QB Patrick Mahomes.

The Raiders need something to help them keep up in the daunting AFC West division, and who better to grab than the guy who has been leading offensive clinics against your team for the past few seasons? Bieniemy is as good of a candidate as they come, and grabbing him from a divisional rival would be the icing on the cake for this franchise in their HC search.