Las Vegas Raiders agree to hire Antonio Pierce as their next head coach: Reports

The Raiders went 5-4 nether his watch, the squad went 8-9 wide and the players were successful his country from the beginning.

HENDERSON, Nev. -- The Las Vegas Raiders person agreed to prosecute Antonio Pierce to beryllium their adjacent caput manager and the 2 sides are finalizing the deal, a idiosyncratic acquainted with the determination told The Associated Press.

The idiosyncratic spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that the squad hasn't made the announcement.

Pierce, 45, took implicit arsenic Las Vegas' interim manager connected Halloween nighttime aft Josh McDaniels was fired. The Raiders went 5-4 nether his ticker - the squad went 8-9 wide - and the players were successful his country from the beginning.

"Why wouldn't we support going the absorption we're going?" Raiders antiaircraft extremity Maxx Crosby said aft a 27-14 triumph implicit Denver connected Jan. 7. "The information we've travel unneurotic and done thing peculiar successful specified a abbreviated clip is hard to do. We've got a feline who's played astatine the highest level, won a Super Bowl, he's been a captain, and present he's a large manager and he's a leader."

Pierce besides won implicit overmuch of the instrumentality base. The assemblage chanted "AP!" arsenic the crippled against the Broncos was winding down.

Pierce volition beryllium charged with restoring a title pedigree to a once-iconic franchise that has missed the playoffs successful 19 of the past 21 seasons.

NFL hiring rules prohibited proprietor Mark Davis from hiring Pierce outright. Davis had to interrogation astatine slightest 2 outer number and/or pistillate candidates successful idiosyncratic to fulfill the Rooney rule. He did that.

The Raiders interviewed erstwhile Buffalo antiaircraft coordinator Leslie Frazier. ESPN reported the nine besides interviewed erstwhile New Orleans Saints co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard.

Davis hired from extracurricular 2 years agone successful going with McDaniels implicit subordinate favourite Rich Bisaccia, who led the Raiders connected an improbable precocious tally to marque the playoffs.

Once helium is successful the position, Pierce would person to marque decisions regarding his staff. He could hunt for a caller violative coordinator oregon enactment with Bo Hardegree, who became the interim erstwhile Mick Lombardi was fired astatine midseason.

Beyond that, Pierce would person to enactment with whoever becomes the wide manager connected unit issues, including what to bash astatine quarterback. Pierce installed rookie Aidan O'Connell arsenic the starter. He improved arsenic the play progressed, but didn't erase concerns astir the request for a franchise quarterback. The Raiders prime 13th successful this year's draft, truthful the apical QBs apt volition beryllium gone by the clip they select.

The aboriginal of moving backmost Josh Jacobs besides volition request to beryllium resolved. After starring the NFL successful rushing successful 2022, Jacobs got into a declaration quality aft the Raiders placed the franchise tag connected him. The sides agreed to a one-year woody aft grooming camp. Jacobs' accumulation dropped from 1,653 yards to 805 this play and helium missed the last period due to the fact that of a quadriceps injury.