Getty Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce.
The Las Vegas Raiders are undergoing a major transformational period with head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler getting fired. Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce has been promoted to interim head coach and wasted no time making his presence known.
However, before he spoke about the state of the Raiders, Pierce made sure to send a message to McDaniels and Ziegler.
“Thank you to Mr. Davis, Josh McDaniels, Dave [Ziegler] and Patrick Graham for bringing me here and giving me this opportunity,” Pierce said in his November 1 introductory press conference. “It’s never easy when you lose a teammate, a coworker, somebody that you’re close with. We take that very seriously. There are lives and families that are affected by this and we understand that, but it’s a new day, a new chapter, it’s a new era, it’s a new mindset.”
Pierce then went on to describe his mindset.
“What is that mindset? It’s that the Raider pride,” he said. “The commitment to excellence and making sure our alumni, our fan base and Raider Nation are proud of what they see on the field.”
Pierce is best known for his playing career with the New York Giants where he won a Super Bowl for the 2005 season and was named a Pro Bowler in 2006. He got his coaching career started in the high school ranks with Long Beach Poly in 2014 and eventually made his way to Arizona State before the Raiders hired him in 2022.
“Making sure #RaiderNation are PROUD of what they see on the field.”
New Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce gives his first words after replacing Josh McDaniels midway through the season.
🎥: By @Sean_Zittel, Vegas Sports Today
Antonio Pierce Says He Was ‘Born a Raider’
The morale of the Raiders fan base has been quite low. Fans were even harassing owner Mark Davis at games and on the street. They also no longer go to home games as visiting teams often take over Allegiant Stadium.
Though Antonio Pierce had no professional ties to the Raiders prior to being hired last year, he grew up near the franchise and understands the culture of the fan base.
“I grew up in Compton, California. I was born a Raider. I was born with the Raiders rolling in the Coliseum in LA. I was rolling with NWA, talking straight out of Compton, rocking Raider hats. When an opportunity came to work with Josh and Pat Graham and Dave, I jumped on it. That’s what set me up for this. I was born this way.”
That’s going to be music to the ears of a fan base that has struggled to remain excited about the team. While it remains to be seen how good Pierce will be as a head coach, there’s no doubt he knows how to fire up a team and a fan base.
Antonio Pierce Confirms Starting QB
There’s a lot of work for Antonio Pierce to do in the coming days as the Raiders have a Week 9 matchup against the Giants closing in. A major question on everybody’s mind was who would be the starting quarterback.
Pierce confirmed that rookie fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell is taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo going forward.
“We just feel like he gives us the best chance,” Pierce said of the decision.
O’Connell has appeared in two games this season, including a Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He has thrown for 313 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
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Antonio Pierce Breaks Silence on Raiders News, Sends Message to Josh McDaniels