The Las Vegas Raiders are working to finalize a deal to hire Antonio Pierce as their head coach, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday.
The Raiders made Pierce their interim head coach on Halloween after the firing of Josh McDaniels.
Following the Raiders’ season-ending 27-14 victory over the Denver Broncos, owner Mark Davis told ESPN he is “really excited” about the job Pierce did in leading the team to a 5-4 finish after he took over as interim head coach.
When Davis first elevated Pierce from linebackers coach to interim coach, he told ESPN he did not want Pierce to necessarily “coach,” so much as “lead” and “delegate.”
Raiders players bought into Pierce’s leadership style, with All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams saying he would “run through a wall for that man.” Three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby, who had a career-high 14.5 sacks this season, also voiced support for Pierce.
“It’s legendary,” Crosby said after the season finale. “When you have the right culture, a guy like A.P. that embraces the history of the Raiders, it’s special. … A ton of legends [visit] consistently because of the amount of respect they have for him. So it makes you, as a player, want to go out there and show who you are. You know what I mean? You want to be at that level one day.”