The Las Vegas Raiders have named Antonio Pierce as the Interim Head Coach.
Pierce is in his second season as linebackers coach for the Las Vegas Raiders and has seven years of coaching experience and nine years of NFL playing experience. Before joining the Raiders, Pierce spent five seasons at Arizona State serving as linebackers coach before adding the titles of associate head coach and defensive coordinator.
The Las Vegas Raiders are committed to undergoing a comprehensive search for a head coach once the season is complete.
Who is Raiders Interim Coach Antonia Pierce?
The Long Beach native just turned 45 years old and has served as the Raiders linebackers coach for one and a half seasons. Pierce actually had a successful NFL playing career of his own, despite going undrafted in 2001 out of the University of Arizona.
The former linebacker got his first shot in the NFL with Washington and played in all 16 games in his rookie campaign. His breakout came in 2004 when Pierce recorded 114 combined tackles, one sack, five passes defensed, and two interceptions. After that season, he signed with the New York Giants, where he became the captain of a Super Bowl defense.
In his second season with New York, Pierce recorded a career-high 139 combined tackles and made his first Pro Bowl. The next season, Pierce crossed the 100-tackle mark for the fourth consecutive year, while the Giants defeated Tom Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII despite being double-digit underdogs.
Pierce retired in 2010 and began his coaching career in 2014 at Long Beach Poly High School. After several seasons, he was hired by his former rival, Arizona State, as its linebackers coach. He wore several hats at ASU, among them being associate head coach and defensive coordinator. In 2022, the Raiders brought Pierce on board where he took his first NFL job.