Months ago, there was a lot of complaining about then-Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, and midway through last season, the team fired him.
He was replaced by Antonio Pierce, a former linebacker who had won a Super Bowl championship with the New York Giants in 2007 and had served as Las Vegas’ linebackers coach since the 2022 season.
Players instantly took a liking to Pierce, and new general manager Tom Telesco said on NFL Network that Pierce has “a special ability to relate to people and lead people.”
“He just has a special ability to relate to people and lead people.”
GM Tom Telesco shares just how special Antonio Pierce is to the @Raiders organization. 👏 pic.twitter.com/BJTk6hPjCH
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) May 9, 2024
While tactical skills are integral to one’s success as a head coach, leadership skills could be even more important, especially for a first-time head coach who will take some time to grow into his best self.
Coaches need to get their players to buy into their plans and overall philosophy, and that is apparently what Pierce has done so far.
The Raiders were 3-5 when McDaniels was deposed, but they finished the year 5-4 under Pierce, despite starting an underwhelming rookie in Aidan O’Connell at quarterback and dealing with several other roster holes.
The quarterback position is still a concern, but they do have a few legitimate offensive weapons, including wide receivers Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers.
They also took University of Georgia tight end Brock Bowers in the first round, and he is thought to have big-time star potential.
While Las Vegas may have an incomplete roster, they may have a complete head coach who will stick around for the long run in the 45-year-old Pierce.
