Las Vegas Raiders agree to hire Antonio Pierce as next head coach – source

The Las Vegas Raiders have agreed to hire Antonio Pierce as their next head coach and the two sides are finalizing the deal, a person familiar with the decision told the Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not made the announcement.

Pierce, 45, took over as Las Vegas’ interim coach on Halloween night after Josh McDaniels was fired. The Raiders went 5-4 under his watch – the team went 8-9 overall – and the players were in his corner from the start.

“Why not continue in the direction we are going?” Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby said after a 27-14 win over Denver on Jan. 7. “The fact that we came together and did something special in such a short time is hard to realize. “We have a guy who has played at the highest level, won a Super Bowl, been a captain and is now a great coach and leader.”

Pierce also won a large share of the fan base. The crowd chanted “AP!” as the game against the Broncos came to a close.

Pierce will be charged with restoring championship status to a once-iconic franchise that has missed the playoffs in 19 of the past 21 seasons.

NFL hiring rules prohibit owner Mark Davis from hiring Pierce directly. Davis was required to personally interview at least two outside minority and/or female candidates to comply with the Rooney Rule. He did.

The Raiders interviewed former Buffalo defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. ESPN reported that the club also interviewed former New Orleans Saints co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard.

Davis was hired from outside two years ago to team up with McDaniels to take on favorite player Rich Bisaccia, who led the Raiders on an improbable late run to make the playoffs.

Once in the position, Pierce would have to make decisions about his personnel. He could look for a new offensive coordinator or stick with Bo Hardegree, who became interim when Mick Lombardi was fired midseason.

In addition, Pierce should work with whoever becomes 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 did not alleviate concerns about the need for a franchise quarterback. The Raiders pick 13th overall in this year’s draft, so the top QBs will likely be gone by the time they select.

The future of running back Josh Jacobs will also have to be resolved. After leading the NFL in rushing in 2022, Jacobs found himself in a contract dispute after the Raiders placed the franchise tag on him. The parties agreed to a one-year deal after the training camp. Jacobs’ production dropped from 1,653 yards to 805 yards this season and he missed the last month due to a quadriceps injury.