Twice in two years, the Las Vegas Raiders had to decide if they wanted to give an interim head coach the full-time job. In 2022, the team decided against giving it to Rich Bisaccia despite leading the team to the playoffs.
Antonio Pierce didn’t lead the Raiders to the playoffs as an interim head coach but he did enough to earn the full-time job this offseason. General manager Mike Mayock was a big advocate for Bisaccia but was let go following the 2021 season.
He’s been away from the NFL since getting fired but was able to give his thoughts on the Raiders hiring Pierce and credited defensive end Maxx Crosby.
“So I think the pressure was on,” Mayock said of the Raiders hiring Pierce during the January 24 episode of the “Ross Tucker Football Podcast.” “To your point, Antonio comes in as an interim coach, has success, does really well. And, importantly, guys like Maxx Crosby, who we drafted in 2019 in the fourth round, and Maxx owns that locker room. … I think his and other players’ influence on ‘No, we can’t have another change. You messed it up with Bisaccia. You better hire this guy.’ And I think that played heavily in Mark Davis’s decision.”
Bisaccia’s replacement was Josh McDaniels but he was fired before finishing a second season. Owner Mark Davis likely didn’t want to repeat the same mistake of passing on a popular and successful interim coach for a more experienced candidate.
Las Vegas Raiders Had Tom Telesco & Antonio Pierce Meet Before Hire
While Antonio Pierce was able to get the full-time head coaching job, the same can’t be said for interim general manager Champ Kelly. The Raiders announced that former Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco is going to be the general manager of the team.
It was a close race for who would become the general manager and the team even brought in Telesco to see how he’d mesh with Pierce, per a January 23 X post from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
The Raiders brought Tom Telesco back for a second interview on Monday, and had coach Antonio Pierce meet with him to see how the two meshed. That worked and Vegas also liked …
• Telesco’s experience.
• The Chargers’ roster makeup.
• Telesco’s knowledge of the AFC West.
Telesco wasn’t the expected choice considering he was fired by the Chargers during the 2023 season. However, it looks like experience won out over Kelly, who would’ve been a full-time general manager for the first time.
Kliff Kingsbury Coming in for OC Interview
Arguably the most important hire Antonio Pierce needs to make on his coaching staff is offensive coordinator. The Raiders offense was underwhelming last season but has plenty of talent. With the team likely to bring in a young quarterback in the draft, it’s important to have an offensive coordinator who can develop a player at the position.
Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury was the first name linked to the job and it looks like he’s officially getting an interview. According to a January 24 X post from Albert Breedr, Kingsbury is going to Las Vegas this week for an interview.
Source: The Raiders are scheduling an interview with USC assistant Kliff Kingsbury for later in the week in Vegas. Kingsbury interviewed for the Bears and Eagles OC jobs already.
Kingsbury has worked with notable quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Patrick Mahomes in his career. He’d certainly make sense for the position if the Raiders have quarterback plans. He’s also an experienced playcaller who can completely own the offensive side of the ball.
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Ex-Raiders GM Mike Mayock Reveals Thoughts on Antonio Pierce Getting HC Job