According to several reports, after a long wait, the Las Vegas Raiders will remove the interim tag from Antonio Pierce and name him the head coach. after replacing Josh McDaniels midseason and winning 5-of-9 to end the season.
Unsurprisingly, the Raiders hired Pierce; he had won the players over, and defensive end Maxx Crosby said if Pierce were not hired, all options would be open, implying he could consider staying with the team or ask for a trade.
Pierce is not a big X's and O's guy, a term often used to describe coaches who are heavily focused on strategy and tactics. However, he excels in motivating and getting the players to play for him. His leadership style is more about building relationships and fostering a positive team environment, which has proven effective in leading a group of men.
McDaniels had lost the locker room, and Pierce did a great job winning it over. In three months, the Raiders went from a no-direction franchise to one with a foundation that gave the team and fans hope.
While Pierce was the head coach, the Raiders' defense played outstanding, and the team penalties went way down. Also, rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell played well in the last four games, throwing eight touchdowns and no interceptions.
Before joining the Raiders staff as linebacker coach, Pierce had been a head coach, but that was in high school for Long Beach Poly. He spent four years at Arizona State on the Sun Devils' defensive staff after that.
Pierce spent nine seasons as a linebacker with the New York Giants and Washington Commanders, winning a Super Bowl with the Giants. He was a team leader on most of the teams he played on.
Hiring Pierce was a great move by the Raiders, but now he must avoid fumbling the offensive coordinator's hire and find a quarterback.
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