Pierce is the second Black coach to receive a head job during this hiring cycle
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders players lobbied for Antonio Pierce to be the full-time head coach since he stepped in as the interim at midseason.
On Friday, Pierce officially got the gig.
The Raiders announced the hiring of Pierce as their new coach,
The Raiders are the only NFL team with a Black coach, general manager and president. The GM, however, is an interim in Champ Kelly, though he also could get the job full time. Kelly has long been considered a strong candidate to get the position, but the fact he wasn’t announced along with Pierce’s hire raises questions.
Davis told The Athletic he has thought about about hiring a director of football operations, so it’s possible he is reorganizing the front office that could still include Kelly.
Davis hired from outside two years ago in going with McDaniels over player favorite Rich Bisaccia, who led the Raiders on an unlikely late run to make the playoffs.
Pierce will have to make decisions regarding his staff, and it’s most likely he will take a close look at his offense. Bo Hardegree became the interim offensive coordinator when Mick Lombardi was fired at midseason, but it’s possible and maybe even likely Pierce goes outside the organization for the OC.
Beyond that, Pierce will have to work with whoever becomes the general manager on personnel issues, including what to do at quarterback. Pierce installed rookie Aidan O’Connell as the starter. He improved as the season progressed, but didn’t erase concerns about the need for a franchise quarterback. The Raiders pick 13th in this year’s draft, so the top QBs likely will be gone by the time they select.
The future of running back Josh Jacobs also will need to be resolved. After leading the NFL in rushing in 2022, Jacobs got into a contract dispute after the Raiders placed the franchise tag on him. The sides agreed to a one-year deal after training camp. Jacobs’ production dropped from 1,653 yards to 805 this season and he missed the final month because of a quadriceps injury.
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