At the end of the 2021 NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders had a big decision to make. Stick with Rich Bisaccia, who led a 7-5 record, including a trip to the Wild Card round, or try and find an outsider who could raise the Raiders’ level of play even higher.
The decision to move on from Bisaccia and hire Josh McDaniels was met with mixed reviews at the time. Many felt Bisaccia had shown enough to earn the full-time head coaching position, while others felt McDaniels deserved a second chance.
We all know how that worked out. McDaniels didn’t make the Raiders into a contender, and he was fired after leading Las Vegas to a 9-16 record across parts of two seasons.
Now, faced with nearly the exact same situation with Antonio Pierce sparking a late-season surge resulting in a 5-4 record, the Raiders had a massive decision to make. One that seemed like it could even lead to a mutiny among some franchise cornerstones.
Related: 4 Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator candidates to support Antonio Pierce
Las Vegas Raiders hire Antonio Pierce as head coach for 2024 season
On Friday, the Las Vegas Raiders took away the interim title and hired Antonio Pierce as their full-time head coach. Pierce becomes the 23rd head coach in Raiders franchise history, but the team will still need to hire a new general manager after previously relieving Dave Ziegler of his duties along with Josh McDaniels.
The suspected favorite to land the position is current Raiders assistant GM Champ Kelly, yet much like their coaching search, the Raiders appear to be keeping an open mind.
Pierce had never been a head coach before, which is why some thought the Raiders may have been better off finding someone more proven or at least with more experience. Yet, the Raiders were swayed not only by the response their team had to Pierce but also by key players like Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams expressing their unwavering support for their new coach.
Despite previously being linked to the likes of Bill Belichick, Jim Harbaugh, Mike Vrabel, and several others, hiring Pierce today indicates he was always the favorite to land the position. After all, none of those other head coaches have agreed to contracts just yet, but now the Raiders can move on with the next part of their offseason, landing a GM and finding a franchise quarterback.
