The Las Vegas Raiders have looked like a different team since owner Mark Davis decided to make some major changes within the organization. One of those moves was firing head coach Josh McDaniels, who was replaced by Antonio Pierce as interim head coach.
The team has responded well to the changes that were made, playing hard for Pierce. The results have been evident, as the Raiders are 4-3 since the change. Their fourth victory was a big one against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
As they head into a Week 17 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, Pierce took some time to talk about how he has handled the job change. He also spoke about what he could do to present to Davis that he should have the interim label removed and become the team’s head coach.
NFL News & Rumors: Antonio Pierce, Mark Davis, Las Vegas Raiders Updates
“My resume is on the grass. What do you want? I can put up a fancy presentation, I’ve seen that before,” Pierce said of making his case to Davis for the head coaching job during his December 26 media availability. “I can put up stats, I can put up my resume, but the best thing that happened for me was an opportunity. I said this maybe last week, the worst day I was going to be as a head coach was my first day. And each day is my job and I really take pride in growing each and every day to get better. No different than when I was a player to get better. And by the end, you look at it, whatever your career was and whatever my coaching career is, and you sit there and say, ‘Look, this is what he was.’”
Pierce had some head coaching experience from a few years ago when he was leading Long Beach Poly High School. After that, he took a job at Arizona State under Herm Edwards as a linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator.
He was back in the NFL last season with the Raiders as their linebackers coach. It was a role he held this season before being elevated to interim head coach, a role he hopes to keep beyond the 2023 season.
Pierce knows that the best case he can build to keep the job is success on the field. He believes the job he has done growing as head coach and the progress the team has made under his watch should warrant consideration.
NFL News & Rumors: Antonio Pierce, Mark Davis, Las Vegas Raiders Updates
“And hopefully Mark Davis sees improvement and growth within our team,” he said. “He sees the style and play that he wants from the Raiders. He sees a fan base that’s behind us. He sees a building that loves coming to work and loves being here. And people that’s covering the team, enjoying covering the team. And at the end of the day, we got to win. And right now, my record, our record is 4-3.”
The Raiders were down and out earlier in the season under McDaniels. Since the change was made, they look like a more spirited team, and the defense has turned into one of the best units in the NFL.
The offense needs some work, but the turnaround defensively has been impressive. That is a feather in the cap for Pierce when he inevitably interviews for the full-time head coaching gig. After the disaster Davis had last time he didn’t keep his interim head coach, he should think long and hard about keeping Pierce, whom the players respect and have responded to as their leader.
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