In the NFL world, being the head coach of a failing franchise can be a humbling experience. After taking over as the interim head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023, Antonio Pierce was hired as the full-time head coach in 2024, earning a chance to build on the foundation he helped build. However, given the mixed results across his first season-and-a-half with the Raiders, the second-year head coach made it clear he understands the business, given his past as a former NFL player, per Jesse Merrick on X.
“I appreciate the support, win, lose, or draw,” Pierce said, noting his respect for the Raiders fans who have stuck with him and the team through their struggles. “You know, when you take this job and when you’re in front of this room, in front of the building, in front of the organization, the face of the organization, you take the good with the bad, right?
“When we win, everybody’s like, ‘AP! AP!’ When you lose, ‘Get rid of his a**.’ I get it. I get it. That’s the nature of the beast. It was no different when I played, right? When you play well, they keep you, and they give you more money. When you don’t, you go to another team. So, that’s a good point about being a former player, you get the nature of the business.
“But Raider Nation has been great. I’ll say this, for the nine road games we had, they showed up to every one of them . . . . So, Raider Nation has been great. Been great to me. I appreciate the support. Good, bad, and ugly, I get it. And I take it, and I don’t blink or flinch. It is what it is. We gotta win more games, and that’s what everybody expects, myself included.”
Through 27 games with the Raiders, Pierce holds a 9-17 record, giving plenty of reasons for fans to be unhappy.
However, as was evident in the Raiders’ 34-20 loss to the Chargers in Week 18, Pierce recognized the fans who made their presence felt in the regular-season finale.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Raiders move on from him, though Pierce’s job security remains uncertain.
He’s been a bit underwhelming in turning the Raiders around, even if he didn’t get the best chances to do so.
Considering how low the Raiders are on the NFL totem pole, few expected a complete transformation from the Raiders.
However, there wasn’t much improvement, as the Raiders regressed significantly from their 8-9 record in 2023.
So, if the Raiders decide to move on from Pierce, it’s clear he understands the nature of the business, having experience as an NFL player and now a coach.
