When the Las Vegas Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels, it was clear that the organization needed a cultural reset.
The Raiders struggled mightily to find an identity under McDaniels and as a result, they suffered embarrassing losses during the 2023 NFL season.
Las Vegas turned to linebackers coach Antonio Pierce to step in for McDaniels and named him the interim head coach for the remainder of the regular season.
Pierce was widely respected in the locker room because of his ability to relate and communicate with the players and was lauded for his realness.
In a sit-down video, Pierce revealed the first message he sent to the players as soon as he was named interim head coach, via the team’s official Twitter account.
“We got nine games left,” Pierce said. “We can write our own script.”
On to the next chapter.
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) February 24, 2024
In the clip, Pierce said he gave each player a blank sheet of paper and told them to write down what they wanted to happen the rest of the way.
The tactic worked as the Raiders were able to pull themselves together and finish the year with a 5-4 record.
Thanks to his efforts, Pierce was named the franchise’s next head coach and will now have a full offseason to rebuild the team in his image.
The early returns have been positive for Las Vegas as the roster and fanbase seem to support Pierce 100 percent.
The 2024 NFL season will go a long way in determining Pierce’s viability as the Raiders’ head coach, but so far he’s said and done all the right things.
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Raiders Decide To Give Antonio Pierce Extreme Amount Of Support
