Greg Olson rejoins the Raiders in 2025 as the team's quarterbacks coach, marking his 24th year in the NFL and seventh with the Silver and Black. Olson is in his third stint with the Raiders and brings 13 years of experience as an offensive coordinator at the NFL level, working with the Detroit Lions (2005), St. Louis Rams (2006-07), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2009-11), Raiders (2013-14, 2018-21) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2015-16).
In 2023, Olson served as the quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks and helped guide QB Geno Smith's continuing resurgence as a signal-caller. Smith earned his second-consecutive Pro Bowl selection, completing 64.7 percent of his passes (323-for-499) for 3,624 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Smith's completions, passing yards and touchdowns each marked his second-best single season totals in each category, and his nine interceptions were a career low for him as a starter. Smith also tied a Seattle franchise record with five game-winning drives during the season, as Seattle became the first NFL team since 1970 with five game-winning touchdowns in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime in a single campaign. He also had seven go-ahead touchdown passes in the fourth quarter or overtime, which are the most in a season in league history.
Olson returned to the Rams in 2022 as their senior offensive assistant, marking his third stint with the team. He helped QB Baker Mayfield win his third career Offensive Player of the Week Award after making his Rams debut just two days after joining the team. Olson also helped the Rams offense lead the NFL in fourth down conversion rate (78.9%). TE Tyler Higbee broke the Rams single-season franchise record for receptions by a tight end (72) and became the Rams' all-time leader in touchdowns by a tight end (20), while RB Cam Akers became the first Rams running back to have three consecutive 100+ yard rushing performances (Weeks 16-18) in the same season since Todd Gurley in 2015
Olson coordinated a Raiders offense that finished the 2021 season ranked No. 6 in the league in passing (268.6 avg.) and No. 11 in the NFL in total offense (363.8 avg.). QB Derek Carr enjoyed a standout campaign in 2021, passing for a career-high 4,804 yards to mark his fourth-straight 4,000-yard season, all coming under the guidance of Olson. Additionally, Carr notched career-highs in completions (626) and attempts (428), while posting a 68.4 completion percentage, which marked the third-best of his career. Carr eclipsed the 300-yard passing threshold six times during the season, including a 435-yard effort in an overtime win against Baltimore that stands as the most ever by a Raiders quarterback in a season opener and the third most in a single game in franchise history. Carr was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September after guiding Las Vegas to a 3-0 start. In a Wild Card contest at Cincinnati, Carr set the franchise playoff record for attempts (54) and tied the team standard for completions (29).
Olson's offense also saw the emergence of WR Hunter Renfrow, who became just the second wideout in Raiders history to record 100 catches (103), while accumulating 1,038 receiving yards and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. Olson took over the play-calling duties in Week 6 of the 2021 regular season and promptly piloted the Raiders to back-to-back games with 30-plus points, both victories.
In 2020, Olson helped the offense record a 4,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and 1,000-yard rusher for the second consecutive season after becoming the first offense to do so in franchise history in 2019. The unit produced two first-time Pro Bowlers in RB Josh Jacobs and TE Darren Waller, as Jacobs became the first rusher in franchise history to tally back-to-back seasons with at least 1,000 rushing yards to start his career, and Waller broke Hall of Famer WR Tim Brown's team record for most receptions in a single season with 107.
The offense had one of the most successful campaigns in club history, ranking top-10 in nearly all major offensive categories, including points per game (27.1 – 10th), net yards per game (383.3 – eighth), passing yards per game (263.6 – seventh), sacks surrendered (28 – 10th) and third down percentage (46.0 percent – sixth). The team's net yards per game and passing yards per game ranked third and second in franchise annals, respectively. The team also tallied 157 points on 34 scoring drives lasting at least 10 plays, the fifth-most scored in the NFL.
Olson helped mentor QB Derek Carr put together one of his best seasons as a Raider, completing 348-of-517 pass attempts for a career-high 4,103 yards. Carr tossed 27 touchdowns to just nine interceptions for a career-high 101.4 passer rating, the second-highest passer rating recorded in a single season in franchise annals. Olson also helped shape one of the greatest seasons in team history by a player in Waller, who became just the sixth tight end in league history to surpass 100 catches in a season, as he also posted a career-high 1,196 receiving yards and nine touchdown receptions. Waller hauled in at least five passes in an incredible 13 games last season, finishing fourth overall in the NFL in total catches. He also surpassed 100 receiving yards in five contests, giving him 10 total since the beginning of 2019, the most in the NFL among all tight ends.
On the ground, Olson's offense propelled Jacobs to become just the third rusher in franchise history to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in multiple seasons, joining RBs Marcus Allen and Mark van Eeghen. Jacobs also found the end zone on the ground a career-high 12 times in 2020, a mark that's tied for third in franchise history and tied for fourth in the NFL this past season.
In 2019, Olson's unit produced two Pro Bowlers in T Trent Brown and C Rodney Hudson. Brown earned his first selection to the All-Star game in his first season with the Raiders, while it was Hudson's third time earning the accolade.
The offense improved its ranking in many major statistical categories from the 2018 season, including net yards per game (363.7 – 11th), third down percentage (43.8 – seventh), touchdown passes (22 – tied 19th), passer rating (101.0 – eighth), interceptions (eight – tied fifth fewest) and sacks allowed (28 – eighth fewest). The club finished second in completion percentage with a mark of 70.2 percent, inching up from their fifth-place finish in 2018, while jumping up six spots to finish tied for 12th in passing yards per game with a 256.9 average on the year. Additionally, Olson guided the team to an NFL-best 158 points on drives of at least 10 plays, the most by the Raiders since at least 2000.
Among many other significant improvements was the club's total giveaways. The team turned the ball over just 17 times in 2019, tied for the seventh fewest in the NFL and seven less turnovers than the offense committed in 2018, netting a 15-spot improvement league wide. The 17 giveaways committed by the team also marked the second fewest in franchise history behind the team's 14 in 2016.
Among the offense's individual success was Carr, who benefited from being mentored by Olson. Carr completed a career-high and new franchise-record 70.4 percent of his passes in 2019, finishing 361-of-513, while becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to record multiple seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards. His completion percentage ranked second in the NFL and stands as the eighth-best completion percentage for a single season in NFL history. Carr also earned a career-high 100.8 passer rating, joining QB Ken Stabler as the only two quarterbacks in franchise history to surpass the 100-point barrier.
On the other end of Carr's success was Waller, who posted 90 receptions for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns, while setting the club record for most 100-yard receiving contests (five) by a tight end. Waller's five 100-yard contests ranked first in the NFL among tight ends in 2019, while his yards and receptions both placed second en route to being named a Pro Bowl alternate.
Olson also molded a rookie class that made significant contributions in 2019. Amongst their peers, the Raiders rookies finished first in yards after catch (676), first in rushing yards (1,167), first in rushing touchdowns (seven), first in rushing first downs (60), second in receptions (107), second in receiving yards (1,112), second in touchdown receptions (10) and second in first-down receptions (62).
Highlighted in the 2019 rookie class were FB Alec Ingold, Jacobs, TE Foster Moreau and WR Hunter Renfrow. Jacobs became the first-ever Raiders rookie to surpass 1,000 rushing yards, while breaking the club record for most 100-yard contests (five) by a rookie en route to two NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month awards, the only player in team history with multiple Rookie of the Month honors. Under Olson, both Jacobs and Ingold were selected as Pro Bowl alternates and helped the team improve 12 spots from 2018 to finish 13th on the year with a rushing average of 118.3 yards per game. Through the air, Moreau led all rookie tight ends with five touchdown receptions, while Renfrow finished with the second-most receptions (49) by a rookie receiver in club history. In all, the rookies combined for a team-record 17 touchdowns in 2019, the most in the NFL amongst all rookie classes.
In 2018, Olson oversaw an offense that underwent many changes due to injuries, but still saw Carr produce career highs in many statistical categories. Carr set then-personal bests in passing yards (4,049), completion percentage (68.9 percent) and yards per attempt (7.3 avg.), while his 381 completions still mark a career high. His 4,049 passing yards made him 1-of-3 quarterbacks in franchise history to surpass the 4,000-yard barrier.
Carr's completion percentage marked a new franchise record at the time before topping it in 2019, besting QB Rich Gannon's previous record of 67.6 percent set in 2002, while also ranking fifth in the NFL. Olson also assisted Carr in cementing himself among NFL history when his completion total in 2018 surpassed QB Peyton Manning for most completions (1,759) in NFL history through a player's first five seasons. Carr joined Manning as the only other quarterback in league annals to complete 300 passes in each of their first five seasons.
Olson placed a heavy emphasis on protecting the ball and minimizing turnovers, a facet in which Carr excelled. Carr set a new franchise record for most consecutive pass attempts without an interception in 2018, with his streak coming to an end at 332 attempts. His streak ranked third in NFL history, trailing only QBs Tom Brady (350) and Aaron Rodgers (402). Carr also completed 52 passes of at least 20 yards in 2018, helping the offense rank 11th in the league.
Olson's offense produced a first-time Pro Bowler in TE Jared Cook, who set career highs in yards (896), receptions (68) and touchdowns (six), marks that all either tied for the team lead or outright led the team. With injuries at running back, Olson helped find a larger role for third-year RB Jalen Richard, who tied for the team lead in receptions (68), setting a new career high and also tying Allen for the fourth-most receptions in a single season by a Raiders running back.
In 2017, Olson served as the quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Rams, helping the Rams win the NFC West and overseeing the development of second-year QB Jared Goff. Under Olson, Goff enjoyed a breakout season in 2017, earning a selection to the Pro Bowl and throwing for 3,804 yards on 296-of-477 passing (62.1 percent), 28 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Additionally, Olson helped the Rams post 29.9 points per game, best in the NFL, and the franchise's best mark in 16 years.
Prior to joining the Rams, Olson spent two seasons (2015-16) as the offensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the first season of his second stint with Jacksonville in 2015, Olson revamped the Jaguars offense into the NFL's 14th-ranked scoring unit (23.5 points per game) after placing 32nd in 2014. The Jaguars also scored 127 more points in 2015 (376) than they did in 2014 (249), and their 376 points scored were the most for the franchise since 2007.
Olson's first tenure with the Raiders came from 2013-14, also as the team's offensive coordinator, where he was charged with tutoring first-year Carr in 2014. Olson played a key role in the development of the rookie quarterback, who threw for 3,270 yards and 21 touchdowns, a franchise rookie record and tops in the NFL among rookie quarterbacks that year. Additionally, Olson oversaw an offense that allowed only 28 sacks on the year, the sixth fewest in the NFL.
In 2013, the Raiders' offense averaged 20.1 points and 333.8 yards per game. Despite starting a league-high eight different offensive line combinations, Olson's group showed improvements in many significant areas from 2012, including yards per rush (3.8 in 2012 to 4.6 in 2013), 20-plus-yard runs (eight to 18), red zone touchdown percentage (42.9 to 59.5) and points on the opening possession (three to 41). He also tutored two young quarterbacks to lead the Raiders offense – QBs Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin. Pryor threw for 1,798 yards and seven touchdowns, while setting a franchise record for a quarterback with 576 rushing yards. McGloin took over as the starter midway through the campaign and finished up his rookie season with 1,547 passing yards and nine touchdowns.
Olson served as assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012, overseeing the quarterback duo of Blaine Gabbert, the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, and Chad Henne, a second-round selection in 2008.
Prior to joining the Jaguars, Olson served four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including the last three as offensive coordinator. Olson was responsible for the development of QB Josh Freeman, the 17th overall pick in the 2009 draft. Under Olson's guidance, Freeman threw for 8,898 yards and 51 touchdowns in his first three seasons as a starter. In 2011, Olson helped guide the Buccaneers to one of their best offensive seasons in team history, setting franchise records for yards per play (5.61), average per rush (4.64 yards), average per pass play (7.21), passer rating (96.2) and fewest interceptions thrown (six).
The Buccaneers were the youngest team in the NFL in 2010 and WR Mike Williams, a fourth-round draft pick, finished the year leading all rookie receivers in the league in every major receiving category while setting a single-season team record with 11 touchdown receptions. RB LeGarrette Blount's 1,007 rushing yards led all rookie running backs and he became just the second undrafted rookie running back in NFL history to finish with over 1,000 yards.
Despite his late elevation to the coordinator position in 2009, Olson's offense showed consistent growth around Freeman. Working closely with Olson, Freeman led all rookie quarterbacks in completion percentage (54.5) while setting Buccaneer rookie records for touchdown passes (10) and passing yards (1,855) despite starting in just nine games. TE Kellen Winslow had the best season by a tight end in team history in 2009 as he led the team in receptions (77) and receiving yards (884), both good for single-season franchise records among tight ends.
In his first season in Tampa Bay in 2008, Olson was part of Head Coach Jon Gruden's staff. The Buccaneers' offense finished the season amassing 5,456 total yards, the highest total in team history at the time, while scoring 361 points, the second-highest total in team annals. Under Olson's tutelage, QB Jeff Garcia tied for second in the NFL for fewest interceptions (six), was ninth in the league and third in the NFC in completion percentage (64.9) and ninth in the NFL and fifth in the NFC in quarterback rating (90.2).
Prior to joining Tampa Bay, Olson spent two seasons (2006-07) as offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams. In his first year with the Rams in 2006, he helped guide a high-powered offense that ranked sixth in the NFL in total offense (360.4 yards per game) and a passing offense that ranked third (247.6) in the NFC. Under Olson's direction, the 2006 Rams became just the fourth team in NFL history to produce a 4,000-yard passer (QB Marc Bulger), a 1,500-yard rusher (RB Steven Jackson) and two 1,000-yard receivers (WRs Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce). Bulger, Jackson and Holt were all selected to the Pro Bowl.
Prior to his time with the Rams, Olson spent one season as quarterbacks coach (2004) and one season as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (2005) for the Detroit Lions. In 2004, Olson took over play-calling duties for the Lions with three games remaining in the season and the Lions offense went on to average 403.6 total yards per game. In 2005, Olson was named offensive coordinator of the Lions in Week 11.
Following one season as tight ends/recruiting coordinator at Purdue, Olson spent one season as quarterbacks coach for the Chicago Bears in 2003.
Olson entered the NFL as quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers in 2001 under head coach Steve Mariucci. In 2001, Garcia threw for a career-high 32 touchdown passes while posting a career-best 94.8 passer rating and 62.7 completion percentage.
From 1997-2000, as quarterbacks coach at Purdue, Olson played a key role in the development of future Pro Bowl and Super Bowl-winning QB Drew Brees. Under Olson, Brees was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1999 and 2000 while winning the Maxwell Award as the nation's most outstanding player in 2000. He was also a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback in 1999 and 2000. Brees finished his collegiate career as the Big Ten and Purdue's all-time leader in passing yardage (11,792), touchdown passes (90), total yards (12,693), completion percentage (61.1), completions (1,026) and attempts (1,678). He also ranked fourth in NCAA Division I-A history for total offense, completions and attempts upon his departure from Purdue. Brees earned Big Ten Player of Year honors in 1998 and 2000 and All-Conference accolades for three straight years (1998-2000).
Olson began his coaching career in 1987 as a graduate assistant under the guidance of head coaches Dennis Erickson (1987-88) and Mike Price (1989) at Washington State, where he earned his master's degree in athletic administration, and published his master's thesis titled "Developing Quarterback Skills in a Passing Offense." He spent four seasons (1990-93) as an assistant at Central Washington University and two seasons at Idaho (1994-96). At Central Washington, Olson developed QB Jon Kitna, who went on to become an NFL starter at Seattle, Cincinnati and Detroit. Olson also served as wrestling coach for four seasons at Central Washington including the last two as head coach.
PERSONAL: Native of Richland, Wash. …Played quarterback at Spokane Falls Junior College (1981-82) and Central Washington (1983-84)…Earned bachelor's degree in education from Central Washington...He and his wife, Lissa, have twins, Kenneth and Grayce (21)…Lissa is currently the jumps coach at Cal-Berkeley.
