Las Vegas Raiders: Top 5 head coach choices for next NFL season

Now that the mess caused by Jon Gruden is a thing of the past, the Las Vegas Raiders will be looking toward the future to hire their next head coach. There are plenty of candidates that will be open to the job for the 2022 season.

Hiring head coaches can be one of the more stressful aspects of any team's build or rebuild. Coaching candidates can't start pitching their ideas for their head coach reign until the season ends, especially those that make it to the playoffs.

Here are five potential head coach candidates for the Raiders.

Which head coach candidate makes the most sense?

#5 - Rich Bisaccia

Rich Bisaccia stepped up as the interim head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders when Gruden resigned his position as head coach last month. Should the Raiders make the playoffs this season under Bisaccia's lead, the Raiders could look to him to lead the team in 2022.

Bisaccia was the special teams coordinator and assistant head coach before he was promoted to interim head coach. The Raiders are currently 5-4 and a game behind the AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs. Although the Raiders have lost their head coach, starting WR, and starting CB, they are still in the hunt for the playoffs.

#4 - Gus Bradley

Another more alluring option for the Raiders would be to hire defensive coordinator Gus Bradley as their next head coach. Owner Mark Davis does seem like the type to want to promote within should the situation present itself.

As it stands right now, the Raiders defense is one of the strongest units in all of football. Maxx Crosby has emerged as one of the premier pass rushers in the game. This defense could be built even stronger in the off-season, so the team can emerge as a defense-first team. Bradley would be the perfect candidate to help the team mold into that type of presence.

Top 3 potential head coach candidates for the Raiders

Who else would be a good fit for the head coach position?

#3 - Eric Bienemy

Should the Raiders defense remain as strong a unit as it is right now, and Gus Bradley isn't hired by another team as head coach, the team could look to hire the offensive coordinator of the Chiefs, Eric Bienemy.

Bienemy might be one of the more high-level coaches that teams will look to bring in to be their next head coach, so the Raiders will have to make their offer quite enticing. Also, with Davis and general manager Mike Mayock, there is no telling how much control Bienemy will have over the team's hiring and drafting.

#2 - Todd Bowles

Todd Bowles could be another potential head coach, as he is currently the defensive offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bowles may not want to leave his station just yet, as he could be waiting in the wings to take over when Bruce Arians decides to hang up.

Bowles had his time as head coach for the New York Jets but was mostly a disappointment. He could very well not want to return to the elevated coaching position just yet, and teams may not trust him to better their stations as a team in the first place. Bowles could help shore up the Raiders defense even more.

#1 - Jason Garrett

Jason Garrett could be a dark horse candidate to interview for the head coach job. However, he is also only two seasons removed from being let go of those duties for the Cowboys. Garrett is now the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants and has done a decent job considering all their injuries.

The Raiders could look to Garrett to potentially turn Derek Carr into the player that Dak Prescott has become. Garrett is more of an offensive-minded coach, so again, should Bradley remain with the team, Garrett could be the smarter choice in attempting to elevate the Raiders offense to greater heights.