The Las Vegas Raiders found something worth building on in the second half of the 2023 season. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the team is on the precipice of signing interim head coach Antonio Pierce to a full-time deal.
Raiders are working to finalize a deal to hire Antonio Pierce as their head coach, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 19, 2024
Raiders made Pierce their interim HC on Halloween night and now are closing in on making it a full-time job. Players who campaigned for Pierce soon are expected to be happy. pic.twitter.com/OAJTur9ZJ0
Pierce took over for the Raiders following the firing of head coach Josh McDaniels. He led the team to a 5-4 record over their last nine games and sparked a notable turnaround of what had been a struggling defense. Pierce's Raiders allowed a mere 16.0 points per game compared to a miserable 23.4 under McDaniels.
Raiders players campaigned hard for Pierce, including three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby, and the team could probably benefit from some positivity and stability in the locker room. McDaniels' tenure lasted 25 games, and he was preceded by Jon Gruden, who won a mere 22 of 53 games before resigning in disgrace five games into the 2021 season. Rich Bisaccia filled in for the final 12 games of the regular season, eventually leading the Raiders to their only playoff appearance since 2016.
Pierce did well to rally the Raiders and inspire some solid play over the back half of the season, but they're still a franchise in disarray. He proved he can coach up the defense; now, he needs to rebuild an offense that ranked 23rd in points scored last season.
Photo Credit: © Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
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