Antonio Pierce’s time with the Las Vegas Raiders has reached its end as the team have reportedly fired him as head coach
Why did the Las Vegas Raiders fire Antonio Pierce? Coaching results, record, history
The Las Vegas Raiders are the latest NFL team looking for a new head coach after firing Antonio Pierce Tuesday.
“We appreciate Antonio’s leadership, first as an interim head coach and this past season as the head coach,” the team said in a statement.
“Antonio grew up a Raiders fan and his Silver and Black roots run deep. We are grateful for his ability to reignite what it means to be a Raider throughout the entire organization. We wish nothing but the best for Antonio and his family in the future.”
Las Vegas joins Chicago, New England, the New York Jets, Jacksonville and New Orleans as teams with head coaching vacancies entering the offseason.
The Raiders will start the 2025 season with a new coach for the third time in four years. Here’s why they fired Pierce.
Why did the Raiders fire Antonio Pierce?
Pierce went 5-4 to close the 2023 NFL season, including three divisional wins in the final four weeks. However, he failed to match that win total over the 2024 season and the Raiders went winless against the AFC West for the first time since 2006.
In 26 games as the Raiders’ head coach, Pierce went 9-17.
Midseason changes to the offensive coaching staff did not improve that side of the ball. Las Vegas finished the regular season with one of the worst offenses in the league. The Raiders’ offense finished in the bottom four league-wide in scoring (29th), rushing (last), and turnovers committed (29th).
The team traded star wide receiver Davante Adams to the Jets in mid-October for a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Tight end Brock Bowers set NFL rookie records for receptions and receiving yards but the offense still struggled.
Raiders coaching history
Pierce became the fifth coach of the Raiders in the last decade when he took over mid-season last year. Here’s who else has coached the team in that span:
Jack Del Rio (2015-17)
Jon Gruden (2018-2021)
Rich Bisaccia (2021 interim)
Josh McDaniels (2022-23)
Raiders coaching candidates
Las Vegas will now be in the mix for a new head coach. Here are some of the top names getting interviews this cycle so far:
Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
Aaron Glenn, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator
Mike Vrabel, former Tennessee Titans head coach
Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator
Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator
Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator
Kilff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator
Raiders’ offseason outlook
Las Vegas enters the offseason with the second-most cap space in the NFL behind the Patriots. The Raiders will have plenty of money to spend with 20 players hitting free agency, mostly on defense.
The Raiders are also picking No. 6 overall in the 2025 NFL draft as the order currently stands.
