Mike McCoy looks forward to working with Raiders rookie Fernando Mendoza

Las Vegas is putting veteran coaching experience around second-year offensive philosophy and a new quarterback centerpiece, with assistant head coach Mike McCoy set to help lead the development of rookie first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza. In a June 25 report, McCoy was described as excited to coach Mendoza as the Raiders begin building continuity around a young quarterback entering the league as the No. 1 selection.

McCoy’s role in Las Vegas is not limited to traditional quarterbacks coaching. The report characterizes him as serving in both an assistant head coach capacity and an offensive coaching role, which typically increases responsibilities beyond weekly position plans, including in-game communication, preparation routines, and mentoring within an offensive staff built around a rookie report-caller.

The context behind McCoy’s optimism is the pattern of experience the report highlights. It notes this would be the third time this decade he has worked with a young quarterback who came into the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick. That familiarity matters in early-season development, when the primary task for coaches and quarterbacks is establishing timing, protections, and decision-making standards rather than chasing instant results.

Before arriving in Las Vegas, the report points to McCoy’s work with Trevor Lawrence. It says McCoy was Lawrence’s quarterbacks coach starting in Lawrence’s second season, a window when many first-year quarterbacks have moved beyond early learning curves and can better absorb advanced processing and scheme expectations.

The other stop referenced is Cam Ward, where the report states McCoy was with the Tennessee Titans last season during Ward’s rookie year. It further describes McCoy’s Titans timeline as a senior offensive assistant role that transitioned into an interim head coaching assignment, underscoring that his background includes handling quarterbacks across both stable and transitional team environments.

For the Raiders, the presence of a coach with that specific “first-overall rookie quarterback” experience can be a steadying factor. Rookie quarterbacks often face a steep adjustment period, and staff design becomes less about one-off teaching points and more about creating a repeatable system for learning protections, reading coverages, and translating practice progress into game decisions.

What to watch next is how McCoy’s expanded responsibilities translate into quarterback development priorities over training camp and the early regular season. The early story for Las Vegas will likely center on whether Mendoza’s work habits and grasp of the offense can match the staff’s pace, and how quickly McCoy and the rest of the offensive group can convert schematic concepts into consistent execution.