Getty Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis.
Two games into his tenure as the Las Vegas Raiders‘ interim head coach, Antonio Pierce is making a strong case to keep the job going forward. However, there are still seven games left in the regular season and there could be a big name interested in the job.
According to The Athletic’s Mike Jones, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh could be keeping an eye on the Raiders.
“Harbaugh is among those expected to receive consideration in the next hiring cycle, according to a league source who has been briefed on discussions high-ranking NFL officials have had about potential head coach candidates,” Jones wrote in a November 16 column. “And two other league sources who regularly talk with teams about hiring and firing decisions said at least two teams — the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders — are believed to be among those that would appeal to Harbaugh. The individuals spoke on condition of anonymity to talk freely about the situation.”
Harbaugh is currently serving a suspension due to a sign-stealing scandal that has taken Michigan by storm. While it doesn’t appear there will be long-term ramifications for the scandal, it’s possible that Harbaugh could be getting sick of college football as this is the second time he’s been suspended this year. He went 44-19 in four seasons as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014 and was named NFL Coach of the Year in 2011 so he has a proven track record of success in the NFL.
Not the First Time Jim Harbaugh Linked to Las Vegas Raiders
Jim Harbaugh has been flirting with the NFL for the past few seasons now. In fact, he was closely linked to the Raiders’ head coaching opening back in 2022 before the job went to Josh McDaniels. Bruce Feldman of The Athletic even reported in 2022 that Harbaugh was prepared to accept an offer from Las Vegas if he received one.
The Raiders decided to go in a different direction but it is worth noting that owner Mark Davis and Harbaugh have maintained a friendly relationship over the years. There’s also the fact that he got his coaching start with the Raiders back in 2002. If Antonio Pierce doesn’t get the full-time job, Harbaugh is a logical coach for the team to pursue considering his track record in the NFL and in college.
.@keyshawn says the Raiders head coaching job is “perfectly set up” for Jim Harbaugh 👀
What Antonio Pierce Needs to Do to Get Job
Antonio Pierce is off to a 2-0 start since taking over the head coaching job for the Raiders. If he keeps winning, the full-time job will likely be his. Mark Davis already scorned former interim head coach Rich Bisaccia after he made the playoffs but decided to hire Josh McDaniels. With McDaniels recently getting fired, that was clearly a mistake.
If Pierce gets the Raiders to the playoffs after inheriting a 3-5 team in disarray, it’s hard to imagine Davis will repeat the same mistake and not give him the full-time job. If the Raiders finished 7-10 or 8-9, the decision becomes more difficult. What works against Pierce is his lack of coaching experience. He’s only been coaching at the NFL level for a season and a half.
He’s a very different candidate than Bisaccia, who has over two decades of NFL coaching experience. He certainly has a real shot at getting the full-time Raiders job but he still needs to prove more before he can be considered the favorite.