Former Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has emerged as a candidate in Atlanta. The Falcons will hold an in-person interview with Pierce this week, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Pierce didn’t coach in 2025, instead spending the season with CBS as an NFL analyst. Matt Ryan, the Falcons’ new president of football, worked at CBS for three years before returning to Atlanta to lead its front office. Ryan will at least consider turning to his former CBS colleague to replace the fired Raheem Morris.
Like Morris, Pierce carries a sub-.5o0 record as an NFL head coach. Pierce got off to a decent start in taking over as Las Vegas’ interim HC in 2023, however.
After the Raiders fired Josh McDaniels, Pierce guided the team to a 5-4 finish during an 8-9 campaign. Pierce won over his players, including star defensive end Maxx Crosby, who would have requested a trade had the Raiders hired a different head coach. That was enough to convince owner Mark Davis to promote Pierce to the full-time role.
While Davis hoped Pierce would be the Raiders’ first multiyear answer on the sidelines since Jon Gruden, it didn’t work out that way. Crosby’s standout play continued in 2024, but so did the Raiders’ woes at quarterback, among other areas. The Raiders stumbled to a 4-13 record, leading Davis and heavily influential minority owner Tom Brady to send Pierce packing a year ago.
Despite a 9-17 record in Vegas, Pierce is now under consideration for multiple HC openings. The former linebacker interviewed with the Giants, one of his ex-teams, last week. The Giants are aggressively pursuing John Harbaugh, who’s also on the Falcons’ radar. If Pierce is a serious candidate for either job, where Harbaugh ends up could affect his chances of landing a second head coaching opportunity this offseason.
Rooney rule. No way anyone would hire him… Right???
I’m waiting for “Oooof” to explain how it wasn’t Pierce’s fault on the Raiders and how he’s actually a great head coach lol
I’ve repeatedly said that Pierce was one of the least qualified head coaches in recent memory and probably needs to be a coordinator in the NFL or a head coach in college before he gets another shot.
Anyway, I don’t know why you’re mentioning me. Please don’t let me live in your brain rent free. I don’t like cramped spaces.
@Steinbrenner: not sure what you are talking about regarding Oooof, because in the most recent Antonio Pierce article, he commented this (and you even replied to it):
“Very hard to hire a head coach with that resume. Pierce had a full-time head coach job for one season and he was the second least qualified head coach I can recall (Kitchens was even less, not counting Jeff Saturday, who was only interim)”
Maybe you’re confusing him with someone else.
Why would hiring Pierce surprise you? Atlanta literally just hired Matt Ryan- a man with no coaching or front office experience- to be “President of Football,” and to whom both the head coach and GM would report to. Hiring Pierce would practically be rational compared to that decision.
Atlanta makes decisions based on the Loony Rule, not the Rooney one.
Please no. Rooney rule BS only lol