Antonio Pierce survived Black Monday, but he didn’t survive the day after. On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Raiders fired him as head coach.
The team released a statement announcing his dismissal roughly 48 hours after the Raiders lost 34-20 to divisional rival, the Los Angeles Chargers, to finish their season with a 4–13 record.
As noted in the statement, Pierce was raised a Raiders fan. He grew up in the Los Angeles area while the Raiders played in L.A. from 1982-94. He was in his first season as the full-time head coach after being named interim coach in the 2023 NFL season after Josh McDaniels was fired. Pierce had been with the Raiders organization since 2022, serving as a linebackers coach for two seasons before being tapped as interim head coach.
When Pierce replaced McDaniels in 2023, the Raiders had short-term success, winning their first two games under the new coach. Las Vegas finished with a 5–4 record in nine games under Pierce last year, compared to a 3-5 record in eight games under McDaniels. That led to owner Mark Davis appointing Pierce as full-time head coach for the 2024 season. He ended up winning fewer games this year than last after steering the ship for eight more games.
The Raiders had a decent start to the year, upsetting the Baltimore Ravens on the road in Week 2 and defeating the Cleveland Browns in Week 4 for a 2-2 start. That proved to be the high point of the season, as Las Vegas then lost 10 straight. It did manage to win back-to-back contests in Weeks 16 and 17 before that loss in the season finale.
Pierce’s firing comes a day after his end-of-season media availability where he discussed his future with the organization. Pierce revealed that he hadn’t heard anything from the Raiders brass regarding either being retained or being let go, so he was operating under the assumption that he would return in 2025.
“[The speculation is] only coming from the outside. It’s not inside the building. To me, there’s nothing to clean up until I hear from inside the building.”
The Raiders’ four wins are tied for their fewest over the last decade and since going 3–13 in 2014. They and the New York Giants were the only teams who went winless in divisional play, after Pierce won his last three games versus AFC West opponents to close out the 2023 season.
Pierce was a Pro Bowl linebacker with the Giants and a Super Bowl champion over his nine-year playing career, and defense is his specialty.
The Raiders ranked 25th in scoring defense, while just three teams had fewer takeaways than Las Vegas. The team was even worse on offense, ranking 29th in points scored and dead last in rushing yards. The Raiders never settled on a starting quarterback this season, initially going with Gardner Minshew before replacing him with Aidan O’Connell. Pierce then went back to Minshew, then back to O’Connell, with Desmond Ridder also getting a single start late in the year.
As a result of the season, the Raiders now hold the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, with quarterback being a priority. However, at least three of the five teams ahead of them are also in need of a quarterback, and the 2025 class isn’t viewed as the deepest in terms of talent at the position.
Meanwhile, Raiders fans have become accustomed to head coach turnover over the last two decades-plus. Counting interims, Pierce was the 14th head coach for the franchise over the last 24 seasons, with the 15th set to take over next season.
That kind of instability has had an effect on the field, as the Raiders have made just two postseason appearances since 2003. Since the Raiders went to their last Super Bowl in the 2002 season, they have not won a single postseason game since, and that 22-year drought without a playoff win is the second-longest active streak, trailing only the Miami Dolphins’ 24-year drought. It has been 22 years since a divisional title for the Raiders franchise, and that is also the second-longest active one, trailing only the Cleveland Browns’ 32-year run.
