The Las Vegas Raiders appear poised to make a no-brainer decision. Las Vegas will reportedly hire interim head coach Antonio Pierce and remove that interim tag in the process. Pierce, a former Super Bowl champion, appears next in line to be the head man for the Raiders.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the details of Pierce’s looming hiring.
“Raiders are working to finalize a deal to hire Antonio Pierce as their head coach,” Schefter said. “Raiders made Pierce their interim HC on Halloween night and now are closing in on making it a full-time job. Players who campaigned for Pierce soon are expected to be happy.”
Raiders are working to finalize a deal to hire Antonio Pierce as their head coach, per sources.
Raiders made Pierce their interim HC on Halloween night and now are closing in on making it a full-time job. Players who campaigned for Pierce soon are expected to be happy. pic.twitter.com/OAJTur9ZJ0
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 19, 2024
Pierce formerly starred with the Washington Football Team and the New York Giants in the 2000s. With the Giants, Pierce won Super Bowl XLII in their historic upset over the 18-0 New England Patriots. He retired in 2009 and has coached around the football world since.
From 2014-17, Pierce coached the Long Beach Poly High School football team in Long Beach, California. Then, he joined Arizona State’s staff under then-head coach Herman Edwards. He presided on that staff from 2018-2021 before joining the Raiders’ staff in 2022 as a linebackers coach.
The road to the top was a bit abbreviated, but it’s an earned road. Pierce clearly commanded respect and attention from his team after Josh McDaniels got the boot. His prowess showed in the Raiders’ late stretch, where they made life miserable for everyone else. Time will now tell to see if this move pays off in the future.
