The Las Vegas Raiders made the decision to fire head coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday following his first full season with the team.
Raiders Have Fired Antonio Pierce After One Full Season
Pierce took over as the team’s head coach midway through the 2023 season after Josh McDaniels was fired. Pierce lasted a little more than one year with the club.
Now, the Raiders will be in the market for a new head coach yet again, and according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, minority owner Tom Brady will play a key role in that search.
“It will be interesting to see how much influence Tom Brady will have in this next Raiders coaching search,” Russini wrote on X. “I’m told it will be a lot.”
The Raiders released a statement shortly after news broke of Pierce’s firing.
“The Las Vegas Raiders have relieved Antonio Pierce of his duties as head coach,” the statement began. “We appreciate Antonio’s leadership, first as an interim head coach and this past season as the head coach.
“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.”
Brady’s bid to purchase a minority stake of the Raiders was approved by NFL owners in October, a moment that the future NFL Hall of Famer called “a blessing.”
“Throughout my NFL career, I’ve learned that at its core, football is a game of teamwork, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” Brady said in a statement posted to X. “The Raiders franchise, and the city of Las Vegas embody these same values, and I’m honored to become part of that story.”
At the time, Raiders owner Mark Davis mentioned that while Tom can’t play football anymore, “he can help us select a quarterback in the future and potentially train as well.”
Now, it appears Brady will help find the quarterback’s next mentor, too, as he gets involved in the team’s head coaching search.
The Raiders become the sixth team in need of a new head coach this offseason. The New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and New England Patriots are also looking for a new head coach this cycle.
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