The Raiders released a statement thanking Pierce for his service to the team: "We appreciate Antonio's leadership, both as interim head coach and this past season as head coach. He's a lifelong Raiders fan with deep roots in the Silver and Black tradition. We respect his efforts to reignite the Raiders' spirit throughout the organization and wish him and his family all the best moving forward."
The Raiders appointed Pierce as interim head coach during the 2023 season. He led the team to a 5-4 record, earning the support of the players to take on the role permanently.
The Raiders began the season with a hopeful 2-2 record, but their performance quickly deteriorated, culminating in a 10-game losing streak that raised questions about Coach Pierce's future with the team. A series of setbacks plagued the team, including injuries to defensive stars Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins. Adding to their woes, the team was rocked by the early-season controversy surrounding Davante Adams, which ultimately led to his departure to the New York Jets. The Raiders ended the season with a dismal 4-13 record.
Josh McDaniels is out as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders after less than two full seasons, and the team has named offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi as his replacement.
The coaching carousel is spinning, and Mike Vrabel's name is swirling around as a possible contender. Vrabel, who once shared the field with Raiders part-owner Tom Brady during their New England Patriots days, is expected to be a top choice for several teams looking for a new leader. Interestingly, his former team, the Patriots, might even be in the mix.
The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of work to do this offseason. Not only do they need to hire a new head coach, but there are also major question marks at key positions. The running game needs improvement and the defense has holes to fill. Most importantly, the Raiders still haven't found their franchise quarterback. Josh McDaniels was hoping Derek Carr would be that guy, but he was released after a disappointing season. Aidan O'Connell showed flashes of potential as a starter, but he's still unproven and it's unclear if he can lead the team on a deep playoff run.
Landing the head coaching position for the Raiders presents a unique opportunity: simply making the playoffs would be a major victory. It's been three long years since the Raiders last tasted postseason action, and prior to that, they'd only reached the playoffs once since their Super Bowl defeat in 2002.
