Antonio Pierce has the interim head coach label with the Las Vegas Raiders. However, behind the scenes, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reports that owner Mark Davis wants the Super Bowl champion to succeed and stay permanently.
While Davis wants to keep Pierce, the NFL is a results-oriented business. So, if the 45-year-old wants the Silver and Black to keep him past this 2023 season, he needs wins. The Raiders did begin the Pierce era with a 30-6 win over the New York Giants on Sunday. Step 1 is complete, but there’s still a long way to go before Pierce can keep the job.
Can Antonio Pierce bring stability to the Raiders?
Raiders fans were excited for the Pierce era, and why wouldn’t they be? The fanbase now has a head coach who wants to embrace what it means to be a part of the Silver and Black. He’s not trying to copy and paste a culture that has failed to succeed elsewhere that isn’t New England and doesn’t have Tom Brady under center.
So, why does Davis want his new interim head coach to succeed? Glazer notes that Davis is rooting for Pierce to succeed because keeping him would mean stability for the franchise and building a culture that aligns with what the Raiders stand for.
“I don’t think they’re going in with this, going okay, ‘He’s just going to be the interim, and that’s it,'” Glazer said on the “NFL on FOX Podcast.” “I think Mark Davis is hoping he brings some stability and culture to that place so he doesn’t have to make another deal. And Champ Kelly is a very well-respected personnel guy around the NFL.”
Although Davis is rooting for Pierce, it’s the wins and how the team performs that will make his case to stay on as head coach. Furthermore, Glazer says that Raiders might be learning from a past mistake.
Jay Glazer: The Raiders ‘need a culture guy’
Las Vegas went down the “brilliant football mind” path with their last two hires, Jon Gruden and Josh McDaniels. Glazer states that the Raiders and Mark Davis need to get away from those kinds of coaches, and he’s right, as this approach hasn’t worked.
Las Vegas has gambled financially to lure these two coaches, and it wasn’t a fit. However, Gruden had an incident off the field that fueled his firing. Nonetheless, he still underperformed in his second stint with the Raiders.
Regardless, the Fox Sports reporter says it’s time to abandon that approach and bring in a “culture guy.” If you need an example of this type of coach, think Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions. It’s worked for the Lions, so why wouldn’t Las Vegas attempt to bring in that type of coach?
“They don’t need the John Grudens of the world or Josh McDaniels,” Glazer added. “They need someone in there who’s going to build up [the] culture. Because the Raiders, there’s so much stuff that happens when you’re a Raider. It’s not normal. Like Dallas Cowboys and only a couple of teams, the [New York] Yankees, right?
“It’s not normal. More stuff happens. There’s more attention around you. If you’re a Raider than any other place, you need a guy that’s he’s all about [football]. All ball. Culture, culture, culture. The culture for everybody in the building.”
The Raiders were in this exact position with Rich Bisaccia, who took the team to the playoffs in 2021. If Pierces at least has Las Vegas in playoff contention, will Davis avoid making the same mistake, or will he again look for that offensive guru?
*Top Photo: Golden Gate Sports