TRADE UPDATE: Another piece of good news for Raiders
Raiders’ Mark Davis Breaks Silence on Decision to Hire Antonio Pierce
Though Pierce has only been coaching in the NFL for two seasons, he went 5-4 as the interim head coach and had the Raiders competitive in every game. The players were vocal about wanting the coach to be retained and star defensive end Maxx Crosby went so far as to threaten a trade request if the team went in another direction.
Owner Mark Davis felt the pressure but he always believed that Pierce was a great fit for the job.
Though Pierce has only been coaching in the NFL for two seasons, he went 5-4 as the interim head coach and had the Raiders competitive in every game. The players were vocal about wanting the coach to be retained and star defensive end Maxx Crosby went so far as to threaten a trade request if the team went in another direction.
Owner Mark Davis felt the pressure but he always believed that Pierce was a great fit for the job.
“There was a lot of pressure on me from the outside to hire Antonio for the head-coaching job, but I think people forget I was the one who hired him in the first place for the interim job,” Davis told The Athletic’s Vic Tafur in a January 26 interview. “When I interviewed him back then, I got the feeling that he was something special.
“Growing up in L.A, knowing the Raiders and the culture of the Raiders back then, I thought he was the perfect choice at the perfect time to take us through the season. What surprised me was how successful he was at winning over the team as quickly as he did. Winning over the fan base as quickly as he did. Winning over the alumni as quickly as he did. And winning over the building as quickly as he did.”
Time will tell if Pierce can truly build something special but he has the support of Davis for now.
Antonio Pierce Had a Lot of Support
Mark Davis and the current players weren’t the only people to support Antonio Pierce’s bid to become head coach full-time. Raiders legends like Charles Woodson came out and endorsed the coach. In fact, Davis revealed that there was rampant support for Pierce all over the organization.
“I went through a nine-week interview process for the head coaching job of the Raiders,” Davis said. “And it was unanimous from the players, fans, alumni and staff that Antonio Pierce was the right man moving forward. He earned that.”
