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Las Vegas Raiders star Davante Adams lobbied for interim head coach Antonio Pierce to stay on a permanent basis.
Adams added he isn’t the only player who feels that way:
Tashan Reed @tashanreed
Davante Adams said that he wants Antonio Pierce to be hired as the #Raiders next head coach and added that most of the locker room feels the same.
Josina Anderson of CBS Sports spoke to a source who struck a similar tone:
JosinaAnderson @JosinaAnderson
#Raiders source on the current vibe in the building surrounding interim head coach Antonio Pierce: “(Mark Davis) hasn’t tipped his hand yet, but I’m hoping Antonio gets the job. He’s a straight-shooter. He doesn’t mince words when he’s talking to people. He has great football… pic.twitter.com/KkRK5EVviH
The Raiders have gone 4-4 since firing Josh McDaniels and naming Pierce as his replacement to finish out the season. While that’s only one game better than how Las Vegas opened the year under McDaniels (3-5), the records alone don’t speak to Pierce’s impact.
It became readily apparent in early November that McDaniels had lost the faith of the players and even some of his coaches. The atmosphere around the franchise with Pierce at the helm contrasts sharply with where things were in the fall.
NFL @NFL
“I believe. We believe.”
Antonio Pierce’s post-game locker room speech is legendary. (via @Raiders) pic.twitter.com/sqUcodw04P
“The biggest change is the energy, along with the buy-in and camaraderie,” rookie defensive end Tyree Wilson said to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. “Everyone is coming out to practice every day and working hard, trying to be better each Sunday. We know if we execute what the coaches want, we are going to win.”
It sounds as though team owner Mark Davis has been paying close attention to the turnaround.
The MMQB’s Albert Breer reported on Dec. 26 that Davis “regretted not giving Rich Bisaccia a full shot after the 2021 interim coach got the Raiders to the playoffs.” Bisaccia inherited an even worse situation and somehow got Las Vegas to the postseason. That wasn’t enough for him to become the permanent head coach, though, with McDaniels hired instead.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported four days later that Pierce is believed to be “well-positioned” when the Raiders launched their full search:
Jeremy Fowler @JFowlerESPN
-Russell Wilson fallout
-#Bears QB conundrum
-Antonio Pierce’s chances with #Raiders
-Jim Harbaugh NFL buzz
Lots to get to on @sportscenter with @crisalexespn pic.twitter.com/pn0UOnbESa
The Carolina Panthers found themselves in a similar position last year.
Steve Wilks went 6-6 as the interim coach, and momentum behind him began to build the longer his tenure went on. Once the season finally, plenty thought there was only one choice for Panthers owner David Tepper to make.
Tepper declined to keep Wilks on and hired Frank Reich, who didn’t even make it a full season before getting fired. Carolina is 2-14, leading fans to wonder more what could’ve been.
No coach hire is without risk and Pierce isn’t an exception. It’s hard to know what more he could’ve realistically done, though, to prove himself a worthy long-term successor to McDaniels.
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