Pierce Had Full Intentions of Keeping HC Job as Interim

Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce told Owner Mark Davis he "was going to blow his mind" when he was first promoted to interim head coach.

It's been stated countless times over the last few months that Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce was meant to be a Raider.

Pierce knew it, and that was what he wanted to be. It was a dream come true for the Compton, California native to be named interim head coach of his favorite childhood team back in October. He wasn't going to let that dream last for just nine games.

Last month, Pierce was named the full-time head coach, a moment he planned on coming to fruition the day he got the interim job.

"I told Mark [Davis] the day that we talked on Oct. 31 that I was going to blow his mind, that he didn't know what was about to happen," Pierce said when he joined "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday. "I kind of laid it out to him what we were going to do each and every week. I was very upfront; I'm really big in communication.

"And I told Mark exactly what we were going to do and how I see games playing out and our mindset. And let's go to that Christmas Day game [against the Kansas City Chiefs]. I told him to a tee what we were going to do to that offense. I told him how we were going to finish that game.

"I felt it, our players felt it, we built it up all week, we learned from our mistakes a month prior when we blew a 14[-point] lead at home. I said, 'No, we're not doing that. We're going to put the fear [of] God in that offense and have them running for their lives.' 

Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce told Owner Mark Davis he "was going to blow his mind" when he was first promoted to interim head coach / © Denny Medley | 2023 Dec 25

"And that's kind of how it played out. No different than when we got shut out at home against the Minnesota Vikings. I was embarrassed; it was very embarrassing for our organization. 

"Myself, our staff, our players, we had four days -- I told our guys get out the building for an hour, we walk back in that bad boy, we washed our face and moved back to work. I said, 'Look, man, we're going to roll.' I didn't think it was going to be 63 [points] now, I will say that, but I told [Tom] Telesco, I said, 'Hell, when we got to 63, I was going for 71 because I was going to go for two to get that record.'

" ... Really what I've done with Mark and our relationship is really, really cool because we talk a lot throughout the week. Each and every day, we talk just lines of communication so there's no surprises. But yes, when he gave me that job, I had no plans or thoughts to let it go to anybody else.

"That was not going to happen."

From February 27 to March 4, 2024, the NFL Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.

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