After a search that by no means ought to have been, the Las Vegas Raiders formally named Antonio Pierce as their subsequent head coach on Friday.
Pierce’s rent comes after he took over for Josh McDaniels and led the Raiders to a 5-4 end (8-9 total) with three of the 4 losses coming by a mixed 13 factors.
In Week 9, Pierce coached the Raiders to a 30-6 victory over the New York Giants, his former crew. It was his first-ever NFL sport because the lead canine.
The 45-year-old Pierce was initially signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free-agent rookie out of Arizona in 2001. After 4 seasons in D.C., Pierce signed with the Giants in 2005 and remained with Massive Blue till his retirement in 2010.
Throughout his time with the Giants, Pierce was named a crew captain and carved out a pleasant place in franchise historical past. He was a catalyst within the crew’s Tremendous Bowl run in 2007, which was capped off by the most important upset in NFL historical past — a 17-14 victory over Tom Brady and the then-undefeated New England Patriots.
Unsurprisingly, Pierce has a very good relationship with former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, whom he had deal with the Raiders this previous season.
After studying of Pierce’s rent, Coughlin launched a congratulatory assertion.
“I couldn’t be prouder of Antonio Pierce being named head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders,” Coughlin mentioned, by way of ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “I’m excited for him, his household, and the franchise. That is the crew he grew up watching, and his perception in himself and within the gamers is why he’s there. He is a superb scholar of the sport, a fast learner with a fantastic perspective, and he’s desirous to get to work. The 2024 season simply acquired much more fascinating with him on the helm. Go get ’em AP!”
Coughlin has consulted with Pierce on filling out his Raiders’ employees and stays open to serving to AP down the road if the first-time head coach wants it.
