Antonio Pierce Hired As Raiders Coach: What's Next, NFL Buzz

January 19, 2024, 7:25 p.m. ET

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

Pierce, 45, was promoted to linebackers coach following the firing of Josh McDaniels on Halloween night. He enlivened a then-dark Raiders locker room with post-victory cigar celebrations, and his commitment to the team's culture garnered support from players and former players alike. Las Vegas finished the season 5-4.

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

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Nevertheless, after the 2016 and 2021 seasons, the Raiders have two wins and two playoff appearances since their appearance in Super Bowl XXXVII in January 2003 after an 8-9 result.

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 key questions about Pierce's hiring, including what's next. National reporter Jeremy Fowler breaks down what he's heard about the recruitment and draft analyst Matt Miller brings it back to the draft. Finally, front office analyst Mike Tannenbaum evaluates the hire.

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

Gutierrez: Davis is already a rockstar trainer with the likes of Gruden and McDaniels. Neither went particularly well for different reasons.

Pierce understands the mystique, culture and heritage of the Raiders, having grown up in Compton, Calif., and being 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 this card well considering how important it is for Davis to be a Raider.

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

On the other hand, as Pierce himself said, he hoped that he “deserved” the gig, rather that he “deserved” it. Semantics? Maybe, but it's true. Pierce changed the culture and the mood and won games. Going into the game 5-4 and missing the playoffs might not seem like such a big deal, but Pierce had the Raiders leading in every game – even the one when they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs by two touchdowns 14-0 – and they earned feel-good wins over the New York Giants (30-6), Los Angeles Chargers (63-21), Chiefs (20-14) and Denver Broncos (27-14) while beating the AFC West lost 3-1.

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

How much of an influence did the Raiders players have on Pierce's attitude?

Gutierrez: I'll answer your question with one of my own: How can All-Pros Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs and three-time Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby, who even made it he insinuates in his podcast he would ask for a trade if Pierce wasn't retained, possibly ignored?

Perhaps Davis learned from the experience of two years ago, when players, including Crosby, openly and unsuccessfully chose Bisaccia because Davis wanted an X's and O's coach in McDaniels and not a locker room leader like Bisaccia. It wasn't that Davis regretted not hiring Bisaccia; In fact, he wished he had kept the temperature in the locker room better.

While the players' desires may not have been the catalyst for Pierce, they were certainly a bigger piece of the decision-making pie this time around. From Adams, who said his “vote” was for Pierce and that he would “run through the wall for that man,” to Jacobs, an impending free agent, who said Pierce's return would be a factor, if he were to decide to re-sign with Las Vegas to, yes, Crosby's flex – which could be interpreted as a veiled threat potentially endangering Pierce. Everything was factors.

Will Pierce's hiring impact her upcoming decision at GM?

Gutierrez: The NFL has always taken a backwards approach when it comes to coaches having more say than their supposed bosses and, in some cases, having a say in the hiring of their supposed bosses. Hiring Pierce before a GM would suggest a continuation of that trend. Even with recent history.

Consider: When Gruden resigned in October 2021 amid his email scandal and Bisaccia was promoted to interim coach, Davis told ESPN.com that then-GM Mike Mayock had a 51/49 percent lead over the coach on personnel matters would. Davis retained GM Dave Ziegler's position over McDaniels and initially seemed more excited about the prospect of Kelly as interim GM than Pierce as interim coach.

Have these feelings and roles been reversed? It's hard to tell because Kelly and Pierce seem to be joined at the hip. Then again, that was also true for Ziegler and McDaniels, and you saw how that worked out.

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

Gutierrez: Only if the Raiders don't make any moves in the current QB market or in the draft. So, in a word… no. But hear me out: Yes, Pierce called O'Connell his “best friend” in an early press release. And of course, it seemed as if Pierce had ruined his candidacy by sticking with the erratic and immobile fourth-rounder in the 3-0 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings. But O'Connell bounced back with eight touchdown passes and no interceptions in Las Vegas' final four games.

Still, Pierce, who replaced expensive but frequently 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 one to move forward. Instead, Pierce said he's done enough to be “considered” to be the starter going forward.

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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 overall 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 to have disappeared long before they were selected. The next wave of QBs — Washington's Michael Penix Jr., Oregon's Bo Nix and Michigan's JJ McCarthy — could also be gone by then.

Drafting a quarterback likely requires a trade-up, but at what cost? And remember: While there's a connection between Kelly and Fields, there's a bond between Pierce and Daniels. Pierce recruited Daniels to his first school, Arizona State, and the Heisman Trophy winner praised Pierce in his acceptance speech. Daniels was in the Las Vegas locker room to support Pierce and shared the same cigar smoke-filled air with the Raiders legends after the season finale. Stay tuned.

What are you hearing around the league about hiring?

Fowler: Some industry sources believed the Raiders were interested in Jim Harbaugh, but it was unclear how much interest there was in the job and how far Vegas would have been willing to go in a way that would Could have risked upsetting Pierce.

Two important questions: Did Pierce use the leverage of locker room support to secure a long-term contract? And who will be his offensive coordinator? While the Raiders focused on getting a deal done for Pierce, Las Vegas now has to address the general manager position. Interim GM Champ Kelly is firmly in the game.

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

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Müller: It's unlikely that any of the top three quarterbacks – USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels – would go at No. 13, but Michigan signal-caller JJ McCarthy would be an interesting option. The Wolverines' system focused on running the ball, but McCarthy is an efficient passer (88.2 QBR), has great mobility and shows enough arm strength to open the field both vertically and horizontally.

At 20 years old, McCarthy has time and space to develop, but his toughness, leadership and movement skills are why scouts like him in Round 1. His dual-threat ability and willingness to play right away would be attractive to Pierce if he goes with a quarterback in Round 1. The Raiders scored the fewest points in the AFC West and they need a quarterback who can keep up on his own. As a former linebacker, Pierce knows the strain that mobility under center puts on a defense, so McCarthy is a great fit at No. 13.

How would you rate this setting?

Fir tree: B. Pierce earned the job thanks to the Raiders' impressive performance after taking over as interim coach in early November. The win against the Chiefs in Kansas City on Christmas Day was a significant testament to what he can do as the leader of this team.

I worked with Dan Campbell for 12 games in Miami in 2015, and this situation reminds me of the time he took over the Dolphins when the team was exceeding expectations. Pierce has great leadership skills, but adding some experienced coaches to his staff will be important to success.