The Las Vegas Raiders have reached an agreement with Antonio Pierce to appoint him as….
This time, the temporary coach is remaining committed to the Silver and Black.
The Las Vegas Raiders have reached an agreement with Antonio Pierce to appoint him as their next head coach, as reported by NFL Network Insiders Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport on Friday, according to sources.
Later on Friday, the team officially confirmed Pierce’s hiring.
Pierce’s appointment follows his interim coaching stint, where he guided the Raiders to a 5-4 finish in the 2023 season after the dismissal of Josh McDaniels.
One of Pierce’s initial challenges will be addressing the offensive aspect, with reports from Rapoport stating that most coaches, including interim offensive coordinator Bo Hardegree, will not be retained.
Two years ago, owner Mark Davis chose to hire McDaniels over then-interim coach Rich Bisaccia, who had rallied the team to a playoff berth. This time, Davis has opted to elevate his interim coach to the permanent leader of the Raiders. This decision makes Pierce only the third interim head coach in the last 10 seasons to assume the full-time coaching role the following year, joining the ranks of Mike Mularkey with the Tennessee Titans and Doug Marrone with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
While Pierce received interest from the Titans and Atlanta Falcons for their vacant head coaching positions, it became apparent that he was committed to staying in Las Vegas.
Demonstrating allegiance to the Raider way and the Silver and Black ethos, Pierce swiftly earned the trust of the locker room this past season. He led the team to notable victories, including a debut win against the New York Giants, a dominant 63-21 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, and a significant triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs, breaking a losing streak.
At 45 years old, Pierce assumed his interim role with limited NFL coaching experience. Before coaching the Raiders in the last nine games of the previous season, he served as the team’s linebackers coach for two seasons. Prior to that, Pierce held positions as a defensive assistant and coordinator at Arizona State, following his tenure as the head coach of Long Beach Poly High in California.
