Raiders remove interim tag, name Antonio Pierce head coach

HENDERSON, Nev. — Antonio Pierce was officially announced Friday as the new full-time head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Raiders owner Mark Davis elevated Pierce from linebackers coach to interim coach after the Halloween night firings of coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, and Pierce, along with interim general manager Champ Kelly, changed the culture of the Raiders locker room overnight.

After the Raiders' 27-14 win over the Denver Broncos, Davis told ESPN he was “really excited” about the job Pierce did in leading the team to a 5-4 mark after taking over .

In addition to finishing with a winning record, the Raiders also went 3-1 in the AFC West under Pierce, scoring a franchise-record 63 points against the Los Angeles Chargers and defeating the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium for only the second time since 2013.

In announcing Pierce as their new head coach, the Raiders crossed out the word “interim” in a post on X.

I̶n̶t̶e̶r̶i̶m̶ Head Coach Antonio Pierce#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/HV8UWF8pH2

– Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 20, 2024

When Davis first promoted Pierce, who had never been a head coach above the high school level, Davis told ESPN that he didn't necessarily want Pierce to “coach” but rather “lead” and “delegates”.

The Raiders played a cleaner, stingier and more focused game after Pierce took over.

Consider: Under Pierce, the Raiders led the NFL in fewest points allowed per game (16.0), defensive touchdowns (4) and fewest penalties (31) while having the 10th most points to takeaway (14), being fourth in point differential (62) and tied for third in sacks (30) from Week 9 until the end of the season.

Davis also said at the time: “[Pierce] understands the Raiders culture, and that's important to me. »

Growing up in Compton, California, outside of Los Angeles, he was a big fan of not only the Raiders when they lived in Los Angeles, but also the local rap group NWA, known for wearing Raiders gear , immediately changed the culture to a player-oriented atmosphere. . A mini-basketball hoop was immediately set up in the locker room and the music playlist for practice was changed to include the styles of NWA, whose radio versions of songs were played at Allegiant Stadium during warm-ups pregame, while Friday's team danced. for the kickoff of training, he returned.

And after home victories, the Raiders lit celebratory cigars in the locker room.

Pierce also benched expensive but oft-injured veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in favor of rookie Aidan O'Connell, with Pierce calling the youngster his “BFF” on more than one occasion.

However, lackadaisical defeats occurred against the Minnesota Vikings (3-0) at Allegiant Stadium and against the Indianapolis Colts (23-20), preventing the Raiders from participating in the playoffs.

Raiders players bought into Pierce's leadership style, with All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams saying his “vote” was for Pierce and that he would “run through a wall for that man.” Three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby, who had a career-high 14.5 sacks this season, also expressed support for Pierce.

“It’s legendary,” Crosby said after the season finale. “When you have the right culture, a guy like AP who embraces the history of the Raiders, it's special. … A ton of legends [visit] constantly because of the respect they have for him. So it makes you, as a player, want to go out there and show who you are. You know what I mean? You want to be at this level one day. »

Pierce also gained support from Raider alumni, such as Hall of Fame defensive back Charles Woodson, who pointed out that Pierce was a former NFL linebacker, and two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Jim Plunkett, who watched players respond quickly to Pierce. .

A Pro Bowler himself for the New York Giants in 2006, Pierce played nine seasons in the NFL with Washington (2001 to 2004) and the Giants (2005 to 2009). He was a key member of the Giants team that defeated the then-undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

After finishing 8-9 overall, the Raiders have only had 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 head coach (regular and interim) that Davis has hired since taking over the franchise following the death of his Hall of Fame father, Al Davis, in 2011, alongside Dennis Allen , Tony Sparano, Jack Del Rio, Jon Gruden and Rich Bisaccia. and McDaniels.

While there is no news yet on Kelly's status, he is a leading candidate to return as general manager.

Pierce, 45, was asked during his season-ending press conference about the head coaching job.

“I will never use the word ‘deserve,’” he said. “I hope I deserved it.”