The 2024 season was Antonio Pierce’s first full year as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. After a 4-13 finish, owner Mark Davis parted ways with Pierce. Las Vegas recently hired Pete Carroll to be their next head coach.
Pete Carroll will put together a coaching staff and he’s picked a defensive coordinator. Patrick Graham is re-signing with the team and will stay in Los Angeles for 2025. Graham has been the Raiders defensive coordinator since 2022.
Patrick Graham will be the Raiders’ defensive coordinator in 2025
Not leaving Las Vegas: The #Raiders have re-signed Patrick Graham as their defensive coordinator, per sources.
Graham’s contract expired and he had options, including going to Jacksonville. But Pete Carroll and Tom Brady are fans of Graham and convinced him to return. pic.twitter.com/Y7DYAO2S5a
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 30, 2025
Since 2009, Patrick Graham has held a coaching position in the NFL. He began with the New England Patriots as a coaching assistant. Graham was with the Patriots until 2015 and worked as a linebacker and defensive line coach. In 2016-17, Graham was the defensive line coach for the New York Giants. For the 2018 season, Graham was the linebacker coach/running game coordinator in Green Bay. The 45-year-old got his big break ahead of the 2019 season.
Patrick Graham was hired by the Miami Dolphins to be their defensive coordinator in 2019. It was the first time Graham held that position at any level. After one season in Miami, Graham returned to the Giants in 2020-21. He was the defensive coordinator/assistant head coach in New York. Following his second stint with the Giants, Graham was hired by the Raiders as their defensive coordinator in 2022. He was on Josh McDaniels’ coaching staff.
When the Raiders parted ways with McDaniels in 2023, Graham was retained by head coach Antonio Pierce for the 2024 season. Pierce is out after one year but Graham is staying. The team is re-singing Graham and he’ll be on Pete Carroll’s coaching staff. In 2024, the Raiders allowed (25.5) points per game. That was the seventh worst in the NFL. Injuries on defense played a large factor last season, including the loss of All-Pro Maxx Crosby. What can Patrick Graham do to help improve that unit in 2025?
