Antonio Pierce

Tom Telesco To Control Raiders’ Roster; Team Wants Champ Kelly Back

January 25th, 2024 at 10:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mark Davis‘ two recent regimes featured head coach-centric operations, with Josh McDaniels and Jon Gruden the much higher-profile figures compared to their respective GMs. Although Mark Davis made a point to say Dave Ziegler controlled the Raiders’ 53-man roster, comparisons to Mike Mayock‘s shotgun role alongside Gruden also emerged after the Patriot Way model combusted.

In pairing Tom Telesco with Antonio Pierce, the Raiders have an experienced GM and an unseasoned head coach. Davis confirmed (via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez) Telesco will control the roster, but the longtime Chargers front office boss said he and Pierce will work collaboratively.

“It’s a partnership,” Telesco said, via The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. “As far as building the roster, you’re working through the vision of the head coach. How does he want to play on offense? How does he want to play on defense? How does he want to play on special teams? And you build it that way. … We’re going to be able to bounce ideas off each other.”

Telesco will become the rare GM to receive an immediate second chance. Although Trent Baalke is in place as the Jaguars’ front office leader, four years passed between Baalke’s San Francisco ouster and his elevation to this role. Baalke and Telesco are the league’s only current GM retreads, with the rest of the league using first-timers or having a setup in which the owner is the team’s de facto GM. Telesco, 51, lasted 11 years as Chargers GM but only oversaw three playoff teams.

Pierce and Telesco did not have any connection prior to this partnership, though the two joked about the 63-21 December result that ultimately led the latter to Las Vegas. The team preferred Teleseco’s experience to finalists Champ Kelly and Ed Dodds and liked the Chargers’ roster makeup, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. Telesco’s knowledge of the AFC West also worked in his favor.

It is true Teleseco built well-regarded Bolts rosters for most of his tenure, though they regularly fell short of expectations. The ex-Colts exec also inherited Philip Rivers in his prime and had Justin Herbert waiting for him when the Dolphins chose Tua Tagovailoa fifth overall in 2020. This Raiders effort stands to be more difficult through that lens, and the lack of a prior relationship with Pierce will make the setup worth monitoring.

Kelly is under contract, and Davis said (via Gutierrez) he hopes the veteran exec will stay with the team. It appeared Kelly was close to landing the job, with the Raiders having him sit in on their few HC interviews. But it had been reported Pierce and Kelly were not necessarily a package deal. Davis also added Tom Delaney would remain in place managing the Raiders’ salary cap. Part of the search committee that produced Pierce and Telesco, Delaney has been with the Raiders since the late 1990s.

Hired as Ziegler’s assistant GM before becoming the interim leader midseason, Kelly interviewed for the Panthers’ GM job. That has gone to Dan Morgan; Kelly has not been connected to any other job. Unless the Raiders let Kelly out of his contract or he quits, a situation in which Telesco works with his top competitor for the job could conceivably come to pass.

Raiders, Antonio Pierce Agree To HC Deal

January 19th, 2024 at 10:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mark Davis regretted passing on interim HC Rich Bisaccia two years ago. The owner is not going to let Antonio Pierce go. The Raiders and Pierce are finalizing an agreement for the linebackers coach-turned-interim leader to become the franchise’s full-time head coach, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. A deal is now in place, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Pierce’s experience level will make this one of the most shocking HC ascensions in modern NFL history, but Raiders players — in an effort Maxx Crosby spearheaded — lobbied for Davis to elevate Pierce to the full-time role. The former Super Bowl-winning linebacker was viewed as the favorite following Crosby’s threat at requesting a trade in the event the Raiders went in another direction; Pierce is now on the doorstep of making a major climb. This probably goes without saying in light of Friday’s developments, but SI.com’s Albert Breer notes Davis placed a premium on his players’ views of the matter this time around. Per his X account, Crosby appears excited about this decision.

Pierce, 45, will become the first interim HC moved to a permanent post since the Jaguars removed Doug Marrone‘s interim tag in 2017. Teams passing on an interim leader in order to hire a flashier option has been the modern NFL norm, and far more experienced options compared to Pierce — Bisaccia included — have come and gone. While Davis greenlighting a former Josh McDaniels assistant to take over less than three months after he pulled the plug on the McDaniels era 1 1/2 seasons in, Pierce went 5-4 as interim HC and became wildly popular with Raider players.

Other teams had noticed Pierce as well. The Falcons and Titans sent out interview requests; the then-temporary Raiders leader interviewed with the Titans virtually last week. As the interest escalated, the Raiders are making one of the bolder HC moves in NFL history.

A GM will now need to be hired, and interim leader Champ Kelly having sat in on HC interviews points to the Raiders giving strong consideration to keeping their end-of-season setup in place. Though, other candidates will need to be interviewed to comply with the Rooney Rule. Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds is viewed as a threat to Kelly’s grip on the job, with the Raiders not viewing Kelly-Pierce as a package deal. Kelly is believed to be meeting with Raiders brass today, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. The Raiders have already met with Kelly twice during this cycle.

Pierce’s former Giants head coach, Tom Coughlin, is set to help his ex-pupil assemble a staff, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Coughlin was among the coaches who helped Pierce once the Raiders made him interim HC. One name who is expected to be on Pierce’s next Raiders staff: Marvin Lewis. The former Bengals HC, who coached with Pierce at Arizona State and joined Coughlin and Adam Gase in helping the unseasoned leader during the season, is on track to be a Las Vegas full-timer, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

Pierce is less than two years removed from resigning from his co-defensive coordinator post at Arizona State amid an NCAA recruiting investigation. He spent four years with the Sun Devils, moving to the co-DC role in 2020, before McDaniels brought him aboard as Raiders linebackers coach shortly after his Arizona exit. As recently as 2017, Pierce was the head coach of Long Beach Poly High.

That said, Pierce’s coaching experience does not trail new Patriots HC Jerod Mayo‘s by too much. While Mayo has been viewed as the Bill Belichick heir apparent for at least two years, he only began work as a full-time Patriots staffer in 2019. This HC hiring period has featured 2000s and 2010s linebackers take starring roles.

Still, Davis passing on at least interviewing higher-profile coaching options — considering those now available — is rather surprising. The Raiders’ search committee only met with ex-Bills DC Leslie Frazier and former Seahawks and Saints DC Kris Richard. Those two meetings satisfied the Rooney Rule. Although Pierce is also Black, this process reminds of when Davis went through with only Rooney Rule interviews as he brought back Jon Gruden in 2018. The Raiders will pass on efforts to interview Belichick, ex-Oakland assistant Jim Harbaugh and Mike Vrabel. While a Raiders Harbaugh push was rumored, Pierce quickly seized the lead here.

As Pierce takes the unusual route of rising to a head coach position without being a college head coach or an NFL coordinator, he will be assembling a new staff. Most of Pierce’s offensive staff will not be retained, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. The Raiders fired OC Mick Lombardi soon after they canned McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler on November 1, installing Bo Hardegree as their offensive play-caller. Hardegree is among the staffers not expected to stay in Las Vegas, per Rapoport. Considering Pierce was elevated to the interim job instead of DC Patrick Graham, it would surprise if the latter stayed on as well.

Momentum crested for Pierce to be hired after the Raiders upended the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas Day. That came just after the team bashed the Chargers, leading them to fire their HC-GM combo, in a 63-21 rout. Behind Pierce and Graham, the Raiders finished in the top half of the league in scoring defense for the first time since the 2002 Super Bowl season. Graham’s unit ranked ninth, which came after Vegas’ 2022 defense finished 26th.

The team finished 8-9 despite Aidan O’Connell largely struggling in his second-half audition; the team ranked 23rd in points scored and 27th in total offense. The Raiders’ to-be-determined GM should be expected to make a genuine quarterback pursuit.

The Raiders undeniably turned their operation around following McDaniels’ ouster, though this will be a gamble due to Pierce’s limited experience. Pierce grew up a Raider fan in Los Angeles, and Davis is believed to have appreciated the young leader’s grasp of the team’s culture and history. While Davis was connected to taking another big swing for the HC gig, his past two — Gruden and McDaniels — did not succeed. The Raiders have just two winning seasons since Super Bowl XXXVII; Pierce will be tasked with turning the operation around. With Davis giving McDaniels and Ziegler less than two years — after signing the pair to six-year contracts — it is worth monitoring how long of a leash Pierce will have.

As for Lewis, he has been out of the NFL since the Bengals fired him following the 2018 season. The former Super Bowl-winning DC has not been an NFL assistant since 2002, coaching the Bengals for 16 seasons. Lewis’ longevity made him a somewhat divisive figure during that stint, as playoff losses mounted, but he has interviewed for NFL HC jobs in the years since his Cincinnati dismissal. Lewis, 65, looks likely to be one of Pierce’s top aides for the 2024 season.

Latest On Raiders’ GM, HC Positions

January 17th, 2024 at 1:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

1:02pm: Kelly has sat in on the Raiders’ HC interviews this week, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Although Dodds and others may remain in the GM mix, that certainly represents a good sign for Kelly’s chances of staying in Las Vegas. Kelly’s presence at Pierce’s Monday interview would obviously stand to help his chances, given the buzz the latter has received in recent days.

10:56am: While Antonio Pierce‘s experience level would make him one of the most unusual head coach hires in NFL history, it looks like the linebackers coach-turned-interim leader is the clubhouse leader to secure the job. The Raiders are considering running it all back.

Champ Kelly has gone through a second GM interview, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. Pierce has already completed his coaching interview. Although the Raiders have not necessarily been adamant the Kelly-Pierce tandem stay together, this looks to be a scenario that is very much in play.

On the surface, the Raiders sticking with two Josh McDaniels-era hires would be extraordinarily odd considering how quickly McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler were dismissed. Kelly has a history with Ziegler, from their time together in Denver, but did not work for the Patriots. Pierce only worked with McDaniels and Ziegler over the past two seasons, coming back to the NFL after four seasons at Arizona State. Top Raiders players, a contingent driven by Maxx Crosby, want Pierce back. They may soon get their wish.

Initially pegged as set to attempt a swing for a big-name HC, Mark Davis looks to be taking his players’ views seriously re: Pierce. The former linebacker’s knowledge of Raiders history and their culture has appealed to the owner, whose previous big swings — on McDaniels and another Jon Gruden stint — whiffed. Still, with Jim Harbaugh, Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel available, it would be interesting to see the Raiders pass on requesting interviews with any of them.

Raiders interviews with Kris Richard and Leslie Frazier have satisfied the Rooney Rule, which mandates clubs meet with at least two external minority candidates before hiring a head coach. These two represent the only external candidates interviewed for the job at all, with the Raiders initially focusing on their GM position. It would seem a misstep on Davis’ part to hire Pierce without exploring the field, but the owner has expressed regret about not hiring former interim HC Rich Bisaccia two years ago.

The Raiders do not view Pierce and Kelly as a package deal, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who adds Ed Dodds — the Colts’ assistant GM who impressed during his 2022 interview with the Raiders — is viewed as Kelly’s top threat for the gig. Dodds met with Davis during this cycle on Jan. 12. A Pierce-Dodds partnership would be in play as well, given the interim HC’s lack of history with Kelly. But the partnership that helped the Raiders finish 5-4 post-McDaniels may still be favored to return. Kelly has been viewed as firmly in the mix to stay for a few weeks now.

Las Vegas’ first round of GM interviews wrapped this weekend; a decision should be expected soon. Dodds impressing back in 2022 and remaining on the team’s radar would point to the seven-year Colts exec receiving a second meeting as well. A Seahawks scout for 10 years, Dodds has a history with the Raiders. The veteran personnel man began his NFL career interning with the team while Al Davis was still in place. Dodds was with the Raiders from 2003-06. He has since been on several teams’ GM radars and has been integral to the Colts building a quality roster — one held back for years by an inconsistent QB situation.

If Pierce is to be back, it might point Patrick Graham out of town. A five-year defensive coordinator, Graham has considerably more experience coaching in the NFL than Pierce. With Pierce’s background on defense, Graham may seek an opportunity elsewhere. The Raiders have not interviewed Graham for their HC job yet. Pierce’s unique lack of experience would also likely lead to him prioritizing seasoned staffers. One of them may be veteran DC Gregg Williams, according to the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora.

Out of the league since his two-year run as Jets DC ended ignominiously late in the 2020 season, Williams has been a defensive coordinator for eight teams. He spent last season as the defensive boss for the XFL’s DC Defenders. Williams, 65, is best remembered for his role in the Saints’ Bountygate scandal, but the former Bills HC has remained employable since. Pierce and Williams have a strong bond, per La Canfora. This would date back to the two’s time in Washington; in place as Washington’s DC from 2004-07, Williams coached Pierce in 2004 — before the standout linebacker signed with the Giants a year later.

The Jaguars are also interested in Williams, La Canfora adds. Jacksonville may be prioritizing experience in its search to replace Mike Caldwell as DC; four current or former coordinators received interview requests. Williams was in place as the Jags’ DC in 2008, a one-year tenure under Jack Del Rio in 2008.

In addition to Davis, the Raiders have a handful of staffers — along with recent Hall of Fame inductee Richard Seymour, a Raider from 2009-12 — on their interview panel. Team president Sandra Douglass Morgan, director of football administration Tom Delaney, board member Larry Delsen and advisor Ken Herock join Davis and Seymour, per Reed. Davis described Herock, a longtime Raiders consigliere, as the ringleader of the searches that led to McDaniels and Ziegler being hired two years ago. We heard in the fall he and Delaney would play roles in the team’s latest searches. Al Davis once approached Seymour about a future front office role, Breer adds, noting the star D-lineman also helped Mark Davis during his years as Raiders owner. It would not surprise if the four-year Raiders defender was tapped to play a key role in the next regime.

Falcons Request HC Interview With Antonio Pierce

January 14th, 2024 at 9:06am CST by Rory Parks

The Falcons have added Antonio Pierce to the list of candidates for their vacant head coaching position. Per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, Atlanta has requested an interview with the Raiders’ interim HC.

After Las Vegas’ in-season firing of Josh McDaniels, Pierce galvanized a dejected locker room and guided the Raiders to a 5-4 record to close out the 2023 season, despite the up-and-down performance of fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell under center. Although Pierce’s coaching resume is quite thin — his first coaching job in the NFL came when the Raiders made him their linebackers coach in 2022, a position he held when he received the promotion to interim head coach this year — his leadership abilities have clearly caught the attention of execs around the league.

Pierce, 45, has also landed an HC interview with the Titans, and Raiders players are publicly pushing to have owner Mark Davis remove Pierce’s interim tag and name him the permanent head coach. Indeed, star pass rusher Maxx Crosby is reportedly prepared to demand a trade if that does not happen.

Davis is said to be impressed by Pierce, and the most recent reporting on the matter suggests that the former Washington and Giants linebacker has a strong chance to become the Raiders’ full-time HC. However, Davis is also rumored to be looking for a big name to lead his club, and just last week we heard that Las Vegas was making a push to land current University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. The Raiders have also been connected to former Patriots HC Bill Belichick.

As of the time of this writing, Davis has not actually conducted any HC interviews — he wants to hire a permanent GM first — while the Falcons are well into their interview docket. As shown on our head coaching tracker, Atlanta has compiled a mix of offensive- and defensive-minded targets, and there are rumblings that the team is an ideal fit for Belichick. After all, the Falcons have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball and could be a quarterback away from legitimate contention, which makes them an intriguing landing spot for any number of hot HC candidates.

Pierce would certainly qualify as an unorthodox choice for a club that could attract more accomplished talent, but the Falcons nonetheless want to take a closer look at the man who quickly earned the vocal and enthusiastic support of his charges.

Raiders’ Maxx Crosby To “Explore Trade Request” If Antonio Pierce Isn’t Named HC

January 13th, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Ben Levine

While Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is believed to be “at or near the top” of the Raiders’ list of head coaching candidates, interim head coach Antonio Pierce continues to receive support from many in the organization. In fact, one of the team’s stars is even threatening a trade request if Pierce doesn’t earn the full-time job. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, edge rusher Maxx Crosby is expected to “explore a trade request” if Pierce isn’t promoted.

While many of Crosby’s teammates don’t have the sway to make a similar demand, the locker room is “publicly united” behind their interim head coach. The players believe Pierce has earned the opportunity to “continue building upon the culture and energy he built in Las Vegas this season.” After taking over for Josh McDaniels, Pierce helped guide the Raiders to a 5-4 record to end the 2023 campaign.

Raiders players have continually been supportive of their interim head coach ever since he’s taken over. Wideout Davante Adams told reporters that he’d “run through a wall” for his coach, and Crosby has been vocal about Pierce’s role in rebuilding the Raiders’ culture.

“It’s legendary,” Crosby said recently (via Schefter). “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 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.”

A Crosby trade request would obviously present a major story line heading into the offseason. The former fourth-round pick has turned into a star during his five seasons with the organization, culminating in a career season in 2023. Crosby earned second-team All-Pro honors this past year after finishing with 14.5 sacks, 31 QB hits, and a league-leading 23 tackles for loss. The pass-rusher is attached to a four-year, nearly $100MM contract that he signed with the Raiders in 2022.

This internal support for Pierce has led some sources to believe that the interim HC is a shoo-in to earn the full-time gig. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Pierce is the “leading candidate” for the job, with one source saying they’d be “blown away if Antonio weren’t the pick.” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo adds that owner Mark Davis has been impressed by Pierce’s ability to galvanize the squad.

Assuming the Raiders are serious about retaining Pierce, they’ll want to make a decision sooner than later. Per Josina Anderson, Pierce is set to meet with the Titans today about their head coaching job. After this news broke, Crosby was quick to tweet “#HireAP.”

However, there’s also a clear Harbaugh camp within the Raiders organization, an indication that the job could ultimately come down to the two candidates. For what it’s worth, the Raiders have yet to conduct any interviews for the job, and the organization is expected to hire a GM before moving on to their coaching vacancy.

However, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports points out that the organization should be wary of painting this as a two-horse race. If coaches believe Pierce or Harbaugh will ultimately be the choice, the Raiders may have a tough time getting these candidates in the building for interviews. Mark Maske of the Washington Post points out that the Raiders will still need to comply with the NFL’s minority interviewing requirements, which would require Davis and co. to “conduct in-person interviews with at least two minority candidates from outside the organization.”

Titans Request HC Interviews With Antonio Pierce, Four Others

January 10th, 2024 at 2:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ousting a popular defensive-minded coach, the Titans are starting off their search to replace Mike Vrabel by sending to interview requests to defense-oriented staffers.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Cowboys DC Dan Quinn and Raiders interim HC Antonio Pierce have received requests to meet with Titans brass about the newly vacated job, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport report. This represents more of the same for Glenn, a candidate over the past two years, but new territory for Pierce, who is in only his second season as an NFL coach. Quinn will interview for the job virtually Wednesday, per SI.com’s Albert Breer.

Additionally, Pelissero notes Giants OC Mike Kafka received a Titans interview summons. Ravens DC Mike Macdonald is also on the Titans’ request list, per Schefter. Both young coaches have surged onto the radar in recent years, with Macdonald riding more momentum at this point.

Pierce is on the radar to keep his job in Las Vegas, but the Raiders are understandably targeting higher-profile names. Jim Harbaugh is in the mix to reunite with the first team to give him a shot as an NFL coach, though Raiders HC interview requests have not emerged yet. The franchise is working on its GM role first. Pierce represents an unorthodox candidate, having been moved from linebackers coach to interim HC. The former Super Bowl-winning linebacker had resigned from his Arizona State DC post in 2022, amid an investigation into recruiting violations during the COVID-19 pandemic, but went 5-4 as Raiders interim HC.

Quinn has been a popular figure on the past two coaching carousels, but the Cowboys’ DC jumped off both rides. He had aimed to land the Broncos’ HC job in 2022, but the franchise went through on what became one of this era’s biggest mistakes by hiring Nathaniel Hackett. Producing two more high-end Cowboys defenses since, Quinn now could have a chance to return to the team that raised his profile. The Seahawks have moved on from Pete Carroll, and Quinn — Seattle’s DC from 2013-14 — is expected to be a lead candidate.

Glenn and Quinn overlap in interview requests during this cycle. In addition to the Titans, both have received requests from the Chargers and Commanders. Glenn has managed to attract steady interest despite his Detroit defenses not rivaling Quinn’s Dallas groups in terms of rankings. The Lions have not produced a top-half ranking in scoring or total yardage in Glenn’s three seasons in charge, but the former cornerback is well-regarded — after a run as the Saints’ DBs coach — and interviewed for the Cardinals and Colts’ jobs last year.

Tennessee’s Kafka request is somewhat surprising. Although Kafka was in the mix for the Arizona, Houston and Indianapolis gigs in 2023, the Giants’ offense regressed this season. That said, the team produced a surprising playoff berth behind quality seasons from Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley in 2022. Jones’ injury wounded the Giants this season, as they tumbled from 15th to 30th in points from 2022-23. Still, the Titans will take a look at the former Chiefs assistant soon. No in-person coaching interviews can take place until after the divisional round. Kafka has called plays during both his Giants OC seasons.

Just 36, Macdonald did not receive any interview requests last year. The Ravens’ defensive performance in 2023 has changed the equation, elevating the play-caller’s stock. Baltimore led the NFL in scoring defense this season; Macdonald’s unit has ranked in the top 10 in both points and yards in each of his two seasons in charge. The longtime Ravens position coach-turned-Michigan assistant is on others’ interview lists as well, with the prospect of Baltimore losing both he and first-year OC Todd Monken in play.

Mutual Interest Between Raiders, Jim Harbaugh; Latest On Antonio Pierce’s Status

January 8th, 2024 at 11:32am CST by Sam Robinson

This is the third consecutive NFL hiring period to feature extensive Jim Harbaugh return rumblings, but this one is providing louder noise on the subject. Harbaugh hiring NFL agent Don Yee has set off alarm bells ahead of Michigan’s national championship game booking against Washington.

The Chargers and Raiders have been in on Harbaugh for a bit now. While Harbaugh interest in coaching Justin Herbert has surfaced, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz notes a return to the Raiders is also believed to hold appeal for the nine-year Michigan HC. Both AFC West teams appear likely to request interviews with Harbaugh, who can meet with teams before coaches on NFL staffs, who must wait until after the divisional round to go through interviews due to an NFL timetable adjustment to its coaching calendar.

Like the Bolts, Harbaugh has a history with the Raiders. Finishing his on-field playing career with the Chargers in 2000, Harbaugh moved directly into coaching in 2002. The Raiders gave Harbaugh his first gig, hiring him as quarterbacks coach on Bill Callahan‘s staff. Harbaugh stayed two years, moving to the college ranks in 2004. The Raiders were connected to Harbaugh during the hiring period that produced the Josh McDaniels choice as well.

Mark Davis has shown support for Pierce, but the second-generation owner has been tied to taking another big swing to fill this position. Considering Pierce’s limited experience, that checks out. Indeed, Schultz adds Pierce has received internal support but offers that Harbaugh is “at or near the top” of the team’s list. Following the Raiders’ Week 18 win over the Broncos, Davis responded in the affirmative when asked (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez) if Pierce met his expectations of leading and delegating effectively, indicating “there is no question about it,” during his interim stretch.

Pierce went 5-4 as Raiders HC, being far more popular among Raider players compared to McDaniels. But his limited experience — and no NFL team opting to keep an interim HC since 2017 (Doug Marrone, Jaguars) — provide an uphill battle.

It will also be interesting to see how much power the Raiders and Chargers would be willing to give Harbaugh, who has multiple Michigan extension offers on the table. With Harbaugh’s interviews with the Vikings (2022) and Broncos (2023) not leading to jobs, Michigan will certainly be prepared to put a full-court press on the popular but polarizing leader should the Raiders and Chargers move aggressively. That would naturally lead to Harbaugh wanting significant say in terms of personnel and front office staffing.

Once the Wolverines’ season wraps tonight, this situation will accelerate. Will Harbaugh, who could be facing additional sanctions in connection with Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal, make the move back to the NFL this year?

Raiders Eyeing Bill Belichick?

January 6th, 2024 at 10:26pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like we can add another team to the list of potential Bill Belichick suitors. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Raiders are “hoping to get a chance to meet with Belichick” if he’s let go by New England.

The Raiders sourced their most recent head coaching hire from New England, although it led to disappointing results. Josh McDaniels didn’t last two seasons in Las Vegas, as he was ousted in late October after starting the season 3-5. The team also fired GM Dave Ziegler, who previously spent close to a decade in New England’s front office.

Belichick would obviously bring a lot more credibility to the role than his former offensive coordinator. However, you have to wonder if Mark Davis and co. would be so willing to hire a Patriots staffer following their recent failure.

The Raiders’ connections to the Patriots go beyond McDaniels and Ziegler. While the move still isn’t approved, Tom Brady is set to become a minority owner of the organization, and there are whispers that he’ll have a say in the team’s next coaching hire. Considering the reported tension between Brady and Belichick at the end of the quarterback’s Patriots tenure, it’d be an interesting development if the new part-owner is willing to recruit his former coach.

Interim head coach Antonio Pierce reportedly has the support of his locker room when it comes to earning the full-time job. However, as Russini notes, Davis has “always made it known” that he wants his Las Vegas franchise to be led by a star name. That’s a reason why Jim Harbaugh could also be a leading candidate for the gig.

Of course, it remains to be seen if Belichick will even leave New England. We learned last night that the potential divorce could take weeks to finalize, and at the very least, it sounds like the respected coach will avoid a Black Monday ouster. A drawn-out separation could limit Belichick’s ability to get a new job, so it’ll be interesting to see how teams like the Raiders navigate their HC search while juggling Belichick’s uncertainty.

Staff Rumors: Commanders, Smith, Falcons, Bears, Pierce, Raiders, Giants

January 5th, 2024 at 5:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Among head coaches, Ron Rivera resides as the only true lock to be fired following Week 18. The Commanders‘ new ownership injects mystery into the upcoming search. Josh Harris has been rumored to be intrigued by a setup in which a football operations president-type figure oversees a GM and head coach, and SI.com’s Albert Breer further points to the owner being unlikely to hand the keys to a high-powered HC. Like Bill Belichick, Breer considers Jim Harbaugh an unlikely candidate in Washington. It is not known if Belichick would require personnel control if he ends up elsewhere, but Harbaugh having the leverage of more Michigan extension offers, it is expected the hard-edged HC would need significant input on the personnel front if he were to return to the NFL. So far, the Chargers have been the team most closely linked to luring him back.

Additionally, Breer notes Harris is intrigued by how the Eagles and Ravens’ power structures are set up. The Commanders hired ex-Ravens analytics staffer Eugene Shen as senior VP of football strategy in the fall. While the Eagles lost four staffers to assistant GM roles in 2022, the Ravens have a GM candidate in player personnel director Joe Hortiz. Baltimore’s OC-DC tandem — Todd Monken and Mike Macdonald — is expected to generate HC interest as well.

Going into Week 18, here is the latest from staffs around the NFL:

With the Falcons on the doorstep of a third straight 7-10 season, Arthur Smith‘s job status has come up frequently. Vacillating back and forth between being fired or becoming the rare HC to be given a fourth year despite three straight losing seasons, Smith was not exactly given a vote of confidence by Arthur Blank. But the longtime Falcons owner is not believed to be actively seeking changes, per Breer, making it sound like the hope is for Smith and GM Terry Fontenot to show enough to stay on. A one-sided loss to the Saints may well change Blank’s mind. The Falcons can win the NFC South by beating the Saints and the Buccaneers — who also have a coach on the hot seat — losing to the Panthers.
Ryan Poles is believed to have a good relationship with new Bears president Kevin Warren, being expected to stay on for a third year as GM. Prior to the Bears‘ rout of the Falcons, Matt Eberflus was linked to being in good standing for a third HC season. While expecting both to stay, Breer notes neither Bears power broker has been assured of a return. Warren has been a wild card in this scenario since he was hired, and the former Big Ten commissioner did not confirm publicly when asked Friday (via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley) if Eberflus would be retained. Eberflus is 10-23 as Bears HC, but the team — which has a rather important quarterback decision to make soon — is 7-5 over its past 12.
Raiders leaders Davante Adams, Maxx Crosby and Josh Jacobs would back the retention of interim HC Antonio Pierce, but Mark Davis is believed to be aiming higher. After all, Pierce — who resigned his two-year post as Arizona State DC in 2022 — has far less experience than Raiders DC Patrick Graham. But Pierce’s knowledge of the Raiders’ culture and history does appeal to Davis, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com writes, noting these factors matter considerably to the second-generation owner. No team has bumped an interim leader to the full-time post since the Jaguars elevated Doug Marrone in 2017.
Giants running backs coach Jeff Nixon is set for a responsibility jump; it will come at the college level. Syracuse hired Nixon as its offensive coordinator Friday. Nixon was in his first season as Giants RBs coach; he had served under Matt Rhule at Baylor and with the Panthers. The Giants hired Nixon last year to replace DeAndre Smith, who left to take the same position with the Colts.

Latest On Raiders’ HC Vacancy

January 2nd, 2024 at 9:06am CST by Adam La Rose

After moving on from Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, the Raiders created another opening on the sideline and in the front office owner Mark Davis is now tasked with filling. The team’s interim options have impressed in their respective audition periods, but they are not assured of the permanent gig as of now.

Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, veterans such as Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs and Maxx Crosby are likely to show their support for interim head coach Antonio Pierce. That would come as little surprise given the latter’s success after taking over. While the Raiders are out of postseason contention, Pierce has strengthened his case to have the interim tag removed based on the team’s record and improved play.

Breer adds, however, that Davis “may have a big swing in him” with respect to his next coaching hire. When the organization was in a similar position, Jon Gruden replacement Rich Bisaccia was not retained on a full-time basis. Davis now regrets bringing in McDaniels instead of keeping Bisaccia in place, and the 2024 offseason will provide him the opportunity to take a different path by rewarding Pierce with the full-time position. Other candidates with more pedigree will be available in the upcoming hiring cycle, though.

Pierce’s NFL coaching career began just last season when he was hired as the Raiders’ linebackers coach. The 45-year-old is thus lacking in experience compared to a candidate such as Jim Harbaugh. The latter has again been linked to an NFL return following the end of the college season, and the Raiders have been floated as a potential landing spot. Harbaugh – who recently hired an agent – had a successful run with the 49ers before his current stint at Michigan, which has produced three consecutive CFP playoff appearances and a trip to this year’s national title game.

Bill Belichick represents another veteran staffer whose addition would certainly constitute a notable hiring. His standing with the Patriots has remained uncertain throughout the season, and it would come as little surprise at this point if he were to find himself coaching elsewhere in 2024. Despite the recent firings of Gruden and McDaniels, finances are not expected to be an issue for Davis as he considers his net hire.

Harbaugh and Belichick are two of the veteran staffers who may be soon the market soon, but others with a lengthier resume than Pierce will be options as well. For that reason, Breer notes he may be considered the Raiders’ backup plan at this point if a hiring of the preferred candidate does not work out. Still, Pierce has generally impressed in his interim capacity, so his future will be worth watching closely.

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