The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of new players who are getting evaluated during training camp, but returning players are also getting their best look at new head coach Klint Kubiak. He’s been coaching for a long time, but this is his first time being the guy in charge.
Kubiak has been around football his whole life, as his father is former Super Bowl-winning Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak. He’s coming off winning a Super Bowl of his own as the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks.
While Kubiak’s resume is impressive, the Raiders have hired well-regarded coordinators in the past who failed as head coaches. Luckily, it doesn’t seem like the moment is too big for the coach yet.
Former Raiders offensive lineman Richie Incognito played for several coaches throughout his career and knows what a successful one looks like. He recently visited the team’s training camp in Las Vegas, and he came away very impressed with Kubiak.
“It all starts with the head coach,” Incognito told Raiders.com. “The head coach is the lifeforce behind the entire program. And what I’ve heard about (Kubiak) is that he’s all about ball. He pushes the guys to work hard, but he’s efficient. He’s efficient in the meeting room, he’s efficient on the football field, so these guys are going to get a really good look at a football lifer. … I’ve been asking a lot of the guys, they love him, they love the direction it’s going.”
Maxx Crosby Praises Kubiak
Maxx Crosby is one of the few players on the Raiders’ roster who actually played with Incognito. He’s seen a lot of different coaches come into the building, so he’ll likely have a different evaluation of Kubiak than some of the newer players.
The good news is that he’s already vibing with what the new head coach is doing.
“Coach Kubiak is like – if you talk to him, he’s like monotone. He’s super calm, everything’s super chill, but like he’s all about ball,” Crosby said on the “Ball in the Family Podcast.” “He keeps it black and white. He don’t give a [expletive] who he’s calling out. We’re in a meeting, he’ll call me out just like he’ll call the practice squad guy out. And that’s something I appreciate. … You want that, and you know it sucks in the moment, but ultimately, that’s going to get the best version of yourself.”
Ashton Jeanty Also Noticing New Energy
Perhaps the biggest winner from the Raiders’ decision to hire Kubiak is running back Ashton Jeanty. He had a lackluster rookie season, but Kubiak just got Kenneth Walker a Super Bowl MVP and a huge contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
He knows how to call a run game. Jeanty is a big fan of what he’s seen from Kubiak and the changes he’s made.
“There’s a different energy, urgency in the building,” Jeanty told reporters recently. “I truly believe that starts from the top down. I love what I’m seeing so far from everybody, and it’s only going to continue to grow and get better as the days go on.”
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Richie Incognito Offers Honest Intel on Klint Kubiak appeared first on HEAVY.