The Las Vegas Raiders’ players will get their wish. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the franchise is finalizing an agreement with interim head coach Antonio Pierce that will see him take the job on a full-time basis.
Pierce started the season as Raiders’ linebackers coach but was unexpectedly promoted to interim head coach following the dismissal of Josh McDaniels in October. Pierce did a good job, leading the Las Vegas team to a 5-4 record in the remaining nine games while proving to be quite popular among the players.
After the Raiders wrapped up their 2023 season, a number of players publicly campaigned for Pierce to get the job on a full-time basis. Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby even reportedly threatened to ask for a trade if Pierce isn’t coaching the team in 2024.
The Raiders were linked with a number of big-time coaching names in recent weeks, including Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick. However, owner Mark Davis decided against making a flashy hire like in some previous cases and instead made what many analysts consider to be the “right” hire.
Antonio Pierce played nine years in the NFL as a linebacker with Washington and the New York Giants. He retired following the 2009 season and went on to work as a head coach in high school, followed by a stint with Arizona State as a defensive assistant. Getting hired by the Raiders in 2022 as a linebackers coach was Pierce’s first coaching job in the NFL.
