Antonio Pierce hired as Raiders coach: What’s next, NFL buzz

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders have removed Antonio Pierce's interim title tag and named him the organization's full-time head coach.

Pierce, 45, was promoted to linebackers coach following Josh McDaniels' firing on Halloween night. He invigorated a then-dour Raiders locker room with post-victory cigar celebrations, and his embrace of the team's culture garnered support from players and alumni. Las Vegas went 5-4 to finish the season.

His playing mentality comes from playing linebacker in the NFL for nine seasons with Washington (2001-2004) and the New York Giants (2005-2009), earning Pro Bowl honors in 2006. He was also a key member of the Giants team. who defeated the then-undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

Yet after finishing 8-9, the Raiders have two winning records and two playoff appearances – following the 2016 and 2021 seasons – since appearing in Super Bowl XXXVII in January 2003.

Pierce is the seventh coach (regular and interim) that Raiders owner Mark Davis has hired since taking control of the franchise following the death of his father Al Davis in 2011, joining Dennis Allen, Tony Sparano, Jack Del Rio, Jon Gruden, Rich Bisaccia and McDaniels.

Taking a closer look, Raiders reporter Paul Gutierrez answers four big questions about Pierce's hiring, including what comes next. National reporter Jeremy Fowler talks about what he's hearing about the hiring, and draft analyst Matt Miller breaks it down for the draft. Finally, front office analyst Mike Tannenbaum rates the hire.

Why did the Raiders decide to stick with Pierce instead of pursuing a bigger name on the outside?

Gutierrez: Davis has already gone down the rock star coaching route with Gruden and McDaniels. Neither went particularly well, for different reasons.

Pierce understands the mystique, culture and legacy of the Raiders, having grown up in Compton, Calif., and a fan of the Silver and Black when the team played at the nearby Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the 1980s and early '90s. He played that card well, considering how important being a Raider was to Davis.

Pierce and interim general manager Champ Kelly put on a masterclass in its own right, inviting many Hall of Fame Raiders players into the postgame locker room to help the current class celebrate the season-ending victory over the Broncos – from Marcus Allen, Mike Haynes and Charles. Woodson to Richard Seymour, Jim Otto and Ted Hendricks, to two-time Super Bowl champion Jim Plunkett, with Gold Jackets Tom Flores and Fred Biletnikoff watching approvingly from the luxury suites.

Then again, as Pierce himself said, he hoped he “earned” the job, rather than “earned” it. Semantics? Maybe, but it's true. Pierce changed the culture and atmosphere and won games. Going 5-4 and missing the playoffs might not seem like such a big deal, but Pierce had the Raiders in every game – even the one they lost by two touchdowns to the Kansas City Chiefs, they led 14- 0 – and they had heartwarming victories over the New York Giants (30-6), Los Angeles Chargers (63-21), Chiefs (20-14) and Denver Broncos (27-14) all going 3-1 against the AFC West.

And defense, for the first time in ages, was the Raiders' calling card. Talk about respecting and honoring the mystique, culture and heritage of Silver and Blackdom.

How much influence did Raiders players have on Pierce's hiring?

Gutierrez: I'll answer your question with one of my own: How did All-Pros Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs and three-time Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby, who went all the way to insinuate on his podcast would he ask for a trade if Pierce wasn't selected, or even be ignored?

Perhaps Davis learned two years ago, when players, including Crosby, openly opposed Bisaccia to no avail, because Davis wanted an X's and O's coach in McDaniels rather than a locker room leader like Bisaccia. It's not that Davis regretted not hiring Bisaccia; it was more that he would have liked to have taken a better temperature from the locker room.

While the players' wishes may not have been what put Pierce over the edge, they certainly represented a bigger piece of the decision-making pie this time around. From Adams saying his “vote” was for Pierce and he would “run through a wall for that man,” to Jacobs, a pending free agent, saying Pierce's return would be a factor if he chose to re- sign with Las Vegas. to, yes, Crosby's flex – which could be interpreted as a veiled threat that perhaps compromises Pierce. All were postmen.

Will Pierce's hiring influence their next move at GM?

Gutierrez: The NFL has historically taken a backwards approach whereby coaches have more clout than their supposed superiors and, in some cases, have a say in the hiring of their supposed bosses. Pierce being hired before a general manager would suggest a continuation of this trend. Even with recent history.

Consider: When Gruden resigned in October 2021 following his email scandal and Bisaccia was elevated to interim coach, Davis told ESPN.com then-general manager Mike Mayock would have a percentage advantage of 51/49 on personnel issues compared to the coach. Davis maintained this position for general manager Dave Ziegler rather than McDaniels and initially seemed more excited about the prospect of Kelly as interim general manager than Pierce as interim coach.

Have these feelings and roles been reversed? It's hard to tell because Kelly and Pierce seem connected at the hip. Then again, so were Ziegler and McDaniels, and you saw how that worked out.

Pierce developed a bond with rookie QB Aidan O'Connell. Does this hire indicate that O'Connell is the Raiders' QB1 for 2024?

Gutierrez: Only if the Raiders don't do anything in the current QB market or in the draft. So, in a word… no. Hear me out though: Yes, Pierce called O'Connell his “BFF” in one of the early news articles. And sure enough, it looked like Pierce derailed his bid by staying with the erratic, immobile fourth-rounder in a 3-0 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings. But O'Connell has bounced back with eight touchdown passes and no interceptions in Las Vegas' final four games.

Still, Pierce, who benched expensive but oft-injured vet Jimmy Garoppolo in favor of O'Connell – no doubt with Davis' blessing – wouldn't go so far as to say that O'Connell would be the guy who would leave. Before. Instead, Pierce said he's done enough to be “in consideration” to be the starter in the future.

The Raiders, who are likely to part ways with Garoppolo and his expensive contract, are still looking for a franchise quarterback, a year after moving on from nine-year starter Derek Carr. Kelly was with the Bears when they drafted Justin Fields, who is still on his rookie contract. Fields, a potential trade candidate, will be under financial control for the next two seasons.

The Raiders have the No. 13 pick in April's draft, but the top three QB prospects — USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels — all appear long gone before their selection. The next wave of QBs — Washington's Michael Penix Jr., Oregon's Bo Nix and Michigan's JJ McCarthy — might also be gone by then.

Drafting a quarterback probably requires a trade, but at what cost? And keep this in mind: If there's a connection between Kelly and Fields, there's a connection between Pierce and Daniels. Pierce recruited Daniels to his first school, Arizona State, and the Heisman Trophy winner shouted out Pierce in his acceptance speech. Daniels was in the Las Vegas locker room to support Pierce, sharing the same cigar-smoke-filled air with Raiders legends after the season finale. Stay tuned.

What are you hearing around the league about hiring?

Hunter: Some industry sources believed the Raiders were interested in Jim Harbaugh, but what wasn't clear was his level of interest in the job and how far Vegas would have been willing to go, which would have could risk alienating Pierce.

Two major questions: Did Pierce use the leverage of locker room support to secure a long-term contract? And who will be his offensive coordinator? Additionally, while the Raiders were focused on getting a deal done for Pierce, they now have to deal with the general manager position. Kelly is firmly in the mix.

If the Raiders decide to go the draft route to address QB, who could be there at No. 13 for Pierce?

Miller: It's unlikely that any of the top three quarterbacks — Williams, Maye and Daniels — will be there at No. 13, but Michigan signal-caller JJ McCarthy would be an attractive option. The Wolverines' system has focused on running the ball, but McCarthy is an efficient passer (88.2 QBR), has great mobility and shows enough arm strength to open up the field both vertically and horizontally.

At 20 years old, McCarthy has the time and space to develop, but his toughness, leadership and movement are why scouts like him in the first round. His dual-threat ability and willingness to play right away would be attractive to Pierce if he leaves. with a quarterback in the first round. The Raiders have scored the fewest points in the AFC West, and they need a quarterback who can create on his own to keep up. As a former linebacker, Pierce knows the stress that mobility under center puts on a defense, so McCarthy at No. 13 is an intriguing choice.

How would you rate this hire?

Tannenbaum: B. Pierce earned the job thanks to the Raiders' impressive play after taking over as interim coach in early November. Beating the Chiefs in Kansas City on Christmas Day was important in showing what he can do as the leader of this team.

I worked with Dan Campbell in Miami in 2015 for 12 games, and this situation reminds me of when he took over the Dolphins down the stretch as the team exceeded expectations. Pierce has great leadership qualities, but having experienced coaches on his team will be important to be successful.