The Las Vegas Raiders are once again looking for a new head coach. The team has had three different head coaches in the last four seasons, and another name will soon be added to that list.
Pete Carroll was brought in last offseason to change the culture and rebuild one of the league's worst rosters. Instead, the experiment completely failed, and the Raiders ended with a 3-14 record.
There should be plenty of interest in this job, though. The Raiders own the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and are currently slated to have the third-most cap space in the league.
PFSN's Alec Elijah recently identified some realistic targets for the Raiders. According to Elijah, Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman could be a perfect candidate.
Regarding Freeman's candidacy, Elijah offered the following analysis:
Marcus Freeman has “future NFL coach” written all over him as one of the fastest-growing head coaches in college football. An elite leader at Notre Dame, if the Raiders want someone who can help embody a culture inside the locker room, then this is the coach for them.
Regarded highly for his defensive background, players who have come through Freeman’s programs have been excellent in the NFL. He’s got zero experience as a coach in the league and has only been the head coach of ND for five years, but there is no higher trajectory for a play caller in college than Freeman.
As Elijah mentioned, Freeman has never been an NFL coach, but he's one of the fastest rising candidates in the game. Freeman is known for his defensive acumen, and he's perpetually fielded contenders at Notre Dame.
Since taking over as the head coach at Notre Dame, Freeman has compiled a 43-12 overall record. The coach has never finished with fewer than nine wins in a season and has also been an excellent recruiter.
Hiring Freeman wouldn't exactly be unprecedented. The Chicago Bears were reported to be very interested in Freeman less than a year ago, but the coach decided to focus on Notre Dame and his team's postseason run.
Now, though, the situation has changed. Notre Dame was kept out of the College Football Playoff, and the team declined a bowl invite in protest. Freeman has much more time on his hands now than he did this time last year, so it's possible he could entertain a move up.
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