Mark Davis regretted passing on interim HC Wealthy Bisaccia two years in the past. The proprietor will not be going to let Antonio Pierce go. The Raiders and Pierce are finalizing an settlement for the linebackers coach-turned-interim chief to develop into the franchise’s full-time head coach, ESPN’s Adam Schefter studies. A deal is now in place, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport studies.
Pierce’s expertise stage will make this one of the surprising HC ascensions in trendy NFL historical past, however Raiders gamers — in an effort Maxx Crosby spearheaded — have lobbied for Davis to raise Pierce to the full-time function. The previous Tremendous Bowl-winning linebacker was seen as the favourite following Crosby’s risk at requesting a commerce within the occasion the Raiders went in one other path; Pierce is now on the doorstep of creating a significant climb. Per his X account, Crosby seems enthusiastic about this rent.
Pierce, 45, will develop into the primary interim HC moved to a everlasting publish because the Jaguars eliminated Doug Marrone‘s interim tag in 2017. Groups passing on an interim chief to be able to rent a flashier possibility has been the fashionable NFL norm, and much more skilled choices in comparison with Pierce — Bisaccia included — have come and gone. Whereas Davis green-lighting a former Josh McDaniels assistant to take over lower than three months after he pulled the plug on the McDaniels period one-and-a-half seasons in, Pierce went 5-4 as interim HC and have become wildly widespread with Raider gamers.
Different groups had seen Pierce as nicely. The Falcons and Titans despatched out interview requests; the then-temporary Raiders chief interviewed with the Titans just about final week. Because the curiosity escalated, the Raiders are making one of many bolder HC strikes in NFL historical past. A GM will now must be employed, and interim chief Champ Kelly having sat in on HC interviews factors to the Raiders giving robust consideration to preserving their end-of-season setup in place. Though, different candidates will must be interviewed to adjust to the Rooney Rule.
Pierce’s former Giants head coach, Tom Coughlin, is about to assist his ex-pupil assemble a employees, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Coughlin was among the many coaches who helped Pierce as soon as the Raiders made him interim HC. One title who is anticipated to be on Pierce’s subsequent Raiders employees: Marvin Lewis. The previous Bengals HC, who coached with Pierce at Arizona State and joined Coughlin and Adam Gase in serving to the unseasoned chief throughout the season, is on observe to be a Las Vegas full-timer, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
Pierce is lower than two years faraway from resigning from his co-defensive coordinator publish at Arizona State amid an NCAA investigation. He spent 4 years with the Solar Devils, transferring to the co-DC function in 2020, earlier than McDaniels introduced him aboard as Raiders linebackers coach shortly after his Arizona exit. As just lately as 2017, Pierce was the pinnacle coach of Lengthy Seaside Poly Excessive. That stated, Pierce’s teaching expertise doesn’t path new Patriots HC Jerod Mayo‘s by an excessive amount of. Whereas Mayo has been seen because the Invoice Belichick inheritor obvious for no less than two years, he solely started work as a full-time Patriots staffer in 2019. This HC hiring interval has featured starring roles by linebackers of the 2000s and 2010s.
Nonetheless, Davis passing on no less than interviewing higher-profile teaching choices — contemplating these now accessible — is moderately stunning. The Raiders’ search committee solely met with ex-Payments DC Leslie Frazier and former Seahawks and Saints DC Kris Richard. These two conferences glad the Rooney Rule. Though Pierce can also be Black, this course of reminds of when Davis went by way of with solely Rooney Rule interviews as he introduced again Jon Gruden in 2018. The Raiders will go on efforts to interview Belichick, ex-Oakland assistant Jim Harbaugh and Mike Vrabel.
As Pierce takes the bizarre route of rising to a head coach place with out being a school head coach or an NFL coordinator, he shall be assembling a brand new employees. Most of Pierce’s offensive employees won’t be retained, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport studies. The Raiders fired OC Mick Lombardi quickly after they canned McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler on Nov. 1, putting in Bo Hardegree as their offensive play-caller. Hardegree is among the many staffers not anticipated to remain in Las Vegas, per Rapoport. Contemplating Pierce was elevated to the interim job as a substitute of DC Patrick Graham, it will shock if the latter stayed on as nicely.
The group completed 8-9 regardless of Aidan O’Connell largely struggling in his second-half audition; the group ranked twenty third in factors scored and twenty seventh in complete offense. The Raiders’ to-be-determined GM must be anticipated to make a real quarterback pursuit.
The Raiders undeniably turned their operation round following McDaniels’ ouster, although this shall be a bet as a consequence of Pierce’s restricted expertise. Pierce grew up a Raider fan in Los Angeles, and Davis is believed to have appreciated the younger chief’s grasp of the group’s tradition and historical past. Whereas Davis was linked to taking one other huge swing, his previous two — Gruden and McDaniels — didn’t succeed. The Raiders have simply two successful seasons since Tremendous Bowl XXXVII; Pierce shall be tasked with turning the operation round. With Davis giving McDaniels and Ziegler lower than two years — after signing the pair to six-year contracts — it’s price monitoring how lengthy of a leash Pierce may have.
As for Lewis, he has been out of the NFL because the Bengals fired him following the 2018 season. The previous Tremendous Bowl-winning DC has not been an NFL assistant since 2002, teaching the Bengals for 16 seasons. Lewis’ longevity made him a considerably divisive determine throughout that stint, as playoff losses mounted, however he has interviewed for HC jobs within the years since his Cincinnati dismissal. He seems more likely to be one among Pierce’s high aides for the 2024 season.
