While there is a lot of hope about the potential of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce and his staff, a new ranking from ESPN is not at all complimentary of the Vegas coaching staff.
After a disastrous first half to the 2023 NFL season, there is hope around the Raiders organization. The strong finish led by Antonio Pierce in an interim role showed the roster did have more than enough talent to compete at a much higher level.
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Although there are questions about the quarterback spot, Pierce and his staff have instilled a new level of confidence in the team heading into Week 1 of the 2024 season. However, others have their doubts. Especially when considering the long history of failed former interim head coaches.
In a new ranking of all 32 NFL coaching staff, ESPN placed Pierce and his colleagues dead last in the league ahead of the new season. And their explanation is not unreasonable.
2023 Las Vegas Raiders record: 8-9
The Las Vegas Raiders have the worst coaching staff in the NFL?
“I’m always suspicious of interim-to-head coach promotions. The best success story for an interim promotion in the past 20 years is former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett. Do you really want to be angling for a Jason Garrett arc?” NFL writer Ben Solak wrote. “And that’s before you look at Pierce’s profile. Five years ago, Pierce was the linebackers coach for Arizona State.
“I don’t mind a fast riser at all, but I do think NFL experience — just spending time on a lot of staffs with a lot of players — gives coaches the long view and steady hand necessary to run a franchise. It’s not that being a long-tenured NFL coach makes you good; it’s that even the naturally good coaches need to learn lessons from experience over time,” he added. “Pierce has yet to accrue those years at the mast.”
Solak also stated he is a fan of defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. However, he has major concerns about new OC Luke Getsy and fears their 5-4 finish may have been motivated by a classic honeymoon period of playing hard for a former position coach.
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