Al Holcomb joins the Raiders in 2026 as a senior defensive assistant. Holcomb brings 31 years of coaching experience, including 17 years at the NFL level. Holcomb most recently served as the linebackers coach for the Buffalo Bills for the last two seasons (2024-25) after joining the staff in 2023 as a senior defensive assistant.

Al Holcomb joins the Raiders in 2026 as a senior defensive assistant. Holcomb brings 31 years of coaching experience, including 17 years at the NFL level. Holcomb most recently served as the linebackers coach for the Buffalo Bills for the last two seasons (2024-25) after joining the staff in 2023 as a senior defensive assistant.

Last season (2025), Holcomb helped a linebacker unit navigate injuries throughout the season, as he oversaw one of just five linebacker units in the NFL to have three different linebackers finish 50+ tackles and 5+ tackles for loss, Matt Milano (67 tkls, 7 TFLs), Terrel Bernard (65 tkls, 7 TFLs) and Shaq Thompson (54 tkls, 6 TFLs). Holcomb also assisted with a defense that led the NFL in passing defense, allowing just 156.9 passing yards per game to opponents.

In his first season as the Bills linebackers coach in 2024, Holcomb oversaw a unit led by Bernard, who collected 104 total tackles, marking his second consecutive season with 100+ tackles. Dorian Williams collected a team-high 114 total tackles and was also is the first Bills player since George Wilson in 2011 to register 10+ tackles in four straight games.

In his first season in Buffalo in 2023, Holcomb assisted a defense that ranked ninth in yards allowed per game (307.2) and seventh in passing yards allowed per game (196.6). Holcomb also helped CB Taron Johnson earn second team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career after recording the most tackles of any cornerback in the league with 98 while adding three forced fumbles.

Prior to his time in Buffalo, Holcomb had coaching stints with the Carolina Panthers (2013-17 and 2020-22), Arizona Cardinals (2018) and Cleveland Browns (2019).

During his second stint in Carolina (2020-22), Holcomb was promoted to interim defensive coordinator in 2022 after serving as the assistant head coach for defense for the first five games of the season. He previously served as the defensive run game coordinator from 2020-21. In 2022, Holcomb mentored LB Frankie Luvu who finished with a career high 111 tackles, including 19 tackles for loss. He also helped Brian Burns set career highs in sacks (12.5), tackles (63) and tackles for loss (17).

In 2021, he worked closely with standout rookie Jeremy Chinn, who garnered votes for the NFL Rookie of the Year award and earned PFWA All-Rookie honors as the second-round draft pick led the NFL with the most tackles (116) by a rookie.

Prior to Carolina, Holcomb spent one season as the defensive run game coordinator/linebackers coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2019. Under Holcomb, LB Joe Schobert notched his third-consecutive season with 100+ tackles, finishing with 133 tackles, the 10th most in the NFL.

Holcomb also spent one season as the Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator in 2018, heading up a unit that ranked fourth in the NFL in passing defense, only allowing 203.9 passing yards per game to opponents.

His first stint with the Panthers was from 2013-17, where he coached linebackers during a five-year stretch that saw Carolina advance to the playoffs four times, win three division titles and the 2015 NFC Championship. Over that period, the Panthers linebackers led the NFL with 24 interceptions while recording 35 total takeaways. Holcomb helped guide Hall of Fame LB Luke Kuechly and helped to five consecutive pro bowls and four first team All-Pro honors and the 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He also helped LB Thomas Davis to All-Pro honors in 2015 and four 100-tackle seasons.

Holcomb joined the Panthers after four seasons with the New York Giants, where he worked as a defensive assistant (2009-10) and defensive quality control coach (2011-12), helping the Giants win Super Bowl XLVI.

Holcomb began his coaching career in the NFL by participating in the NFL's minority internship program during minicamp and training camp in 2007 with the New York Jets.

Prior to working in the NFL, Holcomb spent 14 seasons as an assistant coach on the college level. He was the defensive line coach at Lafayette for three seasons (2006-08), tutoring five different defensive linemen to All-Patriot League honors.

Before Lafayette, he worked as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Kutztown University (2004-05) in addition to being the interim head coach in the winter of 2005 after spending six years (1998-2003) at Bloomsburg University as the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.

Holcomb began his coaching career at Temple as a graduate assistant in 1995 working with the linebackers before serving as linebackers coach, assistant track coach and physical education instructor at Colby College in 1997.

PERSONAL: A native of Queens, N.Y., Holcomb graduated from West Virginia with a degree in sport management and earned a master's degree in athletic coaching in 1996.