Pierce will be named coach by the Raiders.
Henderson, Nevada Antonio Pierce has agreed to become the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, and the two parties are currently finalizing the agreement, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.
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Since the team has not made the announcement, the speaker only agreed to remain anonymous.
Following Josh McDaniels’ dismissal as head coach of Las Vegas on Halloween night, 45-year-old Pierce assumed interim leadership. Under his leadership, the Raiders finished with a 5-4 record; as a team, they went 8-9 overall. From the start, the players supported him.
“What would stop us from continuing in this direction?” Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby stated following the team’s Jan. 7 27–14 victory over Denver. It is difficult that in such a short amount of time, we have managed to unite and accomplish something exceptional. We have a player who has excelled in his position, been a captain, won a Super Bowl, and is currently a fantastic coach and leader.”
Pierce also gained the support of many fans. As the Broncos game came to an end, the crowd chanted “AP!”
Pierce will have the task of giving a once-famous team, which has missed the playoffs 19 times out of the previous 21 seasons, a championship pedigree.
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Owner Mark Davis was unable to hire Pierce directly due to NFL hiring regulations. To meet the Rooney rule, Davis needed to conduct in-person interviews with a minimum of two external minority and/or female candidates. That was what he did.
The Raiders conducted an interview with Leslie Frazier, the former defensive coordinator for Buffalo. According to ESPN, the team also spoke with Kris Richard, a former co-defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints.
Two years prior, Davis made an outside hire in McDaniels instead of player favorite Rich Bisaccia, and the Raiders made an unexpected late charge to the postseason.
Pierce would have to make choices about his employees after taking the job. He had two options: look for another offensive coordinator, or stick with Bo Hardegree, who took over as interim coordinator following Mick Lombardi’s midseason firing.
In addition, Pierce would have to collaborate with the new general manager on matters pertaining to personnel, such as quarterback decisions. Pierce made Aidan O’Connell a rookie starter. Though he got better as the season went on, questions remained about whether the team needed a franchise quarterback. With the 13th pick in this year’s draft, the Raiders are probably not going to select any of the top quarterbacks.
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Josh Jacobs, the running back, will also need to have his future decided. Following his 2022 NFL rush record-setting season, Jacobs and the Raiders’ application for the franchise tag sparked a contract dispute. After training camp, the two parties decided on a one-year contract.
