Raiders’ Antonio Pierce Offers Unvarnished Opinion on Coaching Longevity

The new Las Vegas Raiders head coach didn’t hold back.
Raiders’ Antonio Pierce Offers Unvarnished Opinion on Coaching Longevity
Raiders’ Antonio Pierce Offers Unvarnished Opinion on Coaching Longevity /
In this story:

New Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce is under no illusion of the job security—or lackthereof—in the NFL, and he wasn’t shy about discussing it in a recent interview. The first-time head coach gave an enlightening and blunt quote when discussing his current dream job. 

“This is a temporary seat. I am not a fool. I got hired and I’m going to get fired,” Pierce said Wednesday at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. “But the one thing they are not to going to change about me is who I am. How I talk, how I walk, how I act. I don’t mince my words or bite me tongue.”

Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce on the sideline during a game against the Denver Broncos.
Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce went 5–4 after replacing Josh McDaniels last season :: Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports

Pierce joined the franchise as a linebackers coach in 2022 and ascended to interim coach this past season after Josh McDaniels was fired. In Pierce’s limited time in that role, it appeared that he won over the locker room. He posted a 5–4 record, and the Raiders removed the interim tag last month

Pierce, known for his blunt messaging, said he intends to maintain his upfront style as the Raiders’ head coach.

“It is what it is. Like it or love it or don’t, this is me,” Pierce continued, per Tafur. “It’s not a gimmick. I walk through the halls and see all these coaches, former players and scouts. Those were the same guys who told me I couldn’t do what I was going to do or had my back. I keep receipts.”


Published