NEW DEVELOPMENT: Raiders hire a new head coach…

On Friday, the Raiders promoted Pierce from his temporary position as Josh McDaniels’s in-season successor to

become the 23rd head coach in the franchise’s history. After taking over, Pierce recorded a 5-4 record, and the

Raiders concluded with an 8-9 record, which tied them for their second-highest victory total since moving to Las

Vegas in 2020. After leading the Raiders to a 10-7 record in 2021, interim head coach Rich Bisaccia was let go by Jon

Gruden.

McDaniels was employed before to the 2022 campaign. For the most part of the season, Pierce didn’t exactly have

the upper hand.

The Raiders benched Jimmy Garoppolo in favor of the unproven Aidan O’Connell at quarterback, and they defeated

the New York Giants 30–6 as soon as players responded to Pierce. Two of Pierce’s four losses as an interim coach—a

23-20 setback at Indianapolis in Week 17 and a 3-0 home loss to the Vikings—came down to a single possession.

After the season, the players approved Pierce to be the head coach full-time, and the Tennessee Titans, who had fired

Mike Vrabel, interviewed Pierce for the position.

Pierce, who also received the vote of former All-Pro Davante Adams, was retained by the Raiders, although defensive

end Maxx Crosby stated he would explore trade possibilities. “I support that,” Adams declared. “I’ve made a lot of

noise about it, and for good reason—that’s essentially how the entire locker room feels. He’s continued to win us over

with his excellent work since he came here. Not only is it more comfortable, but I believe this organization would

benefit from having AP here.”