Players Choice Wins The Day With Raiders As Antonio Pierce Finalizes Contract To Be New Head Coach
Antonio Pierce didn't win a ton on the field for the Las Vegas Raiders as their interim coach. But he won over the locker room. He won over owner Mark Davis. And has now won the job derby to become the club's new head coach.
Pierce, whose team was 5-4 after he became the interim coach replacing Josh McDaniels, is in the process of finalizing a contract to become the team's head coach, per sources.
The contract negotiations are not yet complete. Pierce has not yet signed anything. It's not yet official.
"But it'll get there," a source told OutKick.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 14: Interim head coach Antonio Pierce of the Las Vegas Raiders reacts against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium on December 14, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
So Pierce will become the 23rd head coach in club history within the next few days. An official announcement will likely be made next week sometime.
And this is perhaps Davis trying to correct what he believes was a previous mistake.
That's because in 2021 Jon Gruden resigned as the team's head coach amid allegations he wrote and sent many troubling emails between 2011 and 2018 -- before he was the team's coach. He was succeeded by special teams Rich Bisaccia, who took over as interim rallied the team to a 7-5 record and a playoff appearance.
Bisaccia also gained the trust and endorsement of the players to become the full time head coach. But he was not hired after going through the hiring cycle. Davis instead hired McDaniels.
Josh McDaniels pulled the ultimate party foul with his kids after the Las Vegas Raiders fired him. He ruined their Halloween. (Credit: Getty Images)
Raiders Try To Undo Josh McDaniels Mistake
And that was a failure in that McDaniels delivered a 9-16 record before being fired 11 games into the 2023 season. He was fired after multiple players let their feeling known to Davis that they didn't believe in the coach, per a source.
That's when Pierce stepped in. And when he apparently brought back a Raiders vibe to the players and and the organization.
The endorsements for this hiring eventually followed:
"With AP, I am definitely 100 percent in,” running back Josh Jacobs said after the last game of the season.
"Why wouldn't we keep going the direction we're going?" defensive end Maxx Crosby asked rhetorically after that season finale.
Crosby days later said on his “The Rush with Maxx Crosby” podcast that he wants to be a Raider but "if we go in a different direction, there’s nothing that’s off the table."
The NFL Network reported Crosby was referring to a trade request if Pierce wasn't hired.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 10: Owner Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on before a game against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bears defeated the Raiders 20-9. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
Raiders Owner Mark Davis Listened To The Players
Davante Adams, another team leader and apparently the owner of a Taco Bell in his kitchen, also voiced his abiding support for Pierce. And Nacho Fries.
So this hiring will become a referendum on whether owners should more closely follow the advice of their players or continue to make their decisions away from the emotion of the locker room.
Pierce's success or failure will tilt the decision.
Pierce, 45, had never been a head coach or coordinator in the NFL before 2023 but the resume he put on the field with the Raiders this year not only got him the Raiders interview but drew interest from other teams. The Tennessee Titans interviewed him for their head coach vacancy.
The Raiders interviewed former Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier and ESPN reported they also interview former Saints, Cowboys and Seahawks assistant Kris Richard.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 25: Antonio Pierce #58 of the New York Giants gets the crowd going against the Arizona Cardinals on October 25, 2009 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
Pierce Respected As Coach And Former Player
Ultimately, a source said, the character and leadership Pierce showed during his time as the interim coach and, indeed, during his 124-game NFL playing career, is what made him the strongest candidate for the Raiders.
"The last guy lost the locker room," a Raiders source said. "He took over and the difference in leadership was night and day."
Pierce on Friday was already working to gather a staff. Many of the assistants he worked with, hired by McDaniels, will be released, per a source.