Raiders Linked to Super Bowl Winner & 2 Big Names as Antonio Pierce Replacements

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Antonio Pierce.

The Las Vegas Raiders took their time but they made a decision on head coach Antonio Pierce. The team announced on Tuesday that they have decided to move on from the coach.

This comes just a year after he was given the full-time head coaching job following an impressive 5-4 run as the interim head coach in 2023. However, he couldn’t recapture that same success this season as the Raiders went 4-13.

General manager Tom Telesco is expected to stay and he’ll likely play a big role in picking the next head coach. Now that the Raiders head coaching job is open, some big names are starting to get linked to the team.

Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal mentioned that former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll could be a name to watch. He wasn’t ready to give up on the Seahawks yet last year but the team went in another direction.

Even though he’s 73 years old, he would still like to coach more. The Raiders may prefer to build around a younger coach who they can have for a long time but Carroll is a culture builder with a track record of success. He could jump at the opportunity if the Raiders come calling.

Raiders Also Linked to Mike Vrabel

The Raiders are likely going to launch a full coaching search and look at many candidates. Among the most obvious coaches they could target is former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. He’s been linked to the job for months and Bonsignore also listed him as a name to watch for Las Vegas.

Vrabel doesn’t have any connections to the Raiders or Las Vegas but he does have a close relationship with part owner Tom Brady. With the former quarterback expected to play a role in the hiring process, it makes sense why they’d look at Vrabel.

He’s a former Coach of the Year and went 54-45 in six seasons with the Titans. He’s going to have plenty of suitors but the Raiders will likely at least try to interview to see what level of interest he’d have in the job.

Liam Coen a Hot Name

The Raiders may also go against the idea that they’d want a former head coach. There are a lot of very good assistants around the NFL looking for their first job. With the Raiders likely drafting a quarterback in the near future, they may want an offensive-minded coach to develop whoever that might be.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen is starting to get a lot of hype. Despite dealing with a lot of injuries this season, the Buccaneers finished with a top-five offense. He also has experience working with Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams.

He’s one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL and is only 39. The Raiders had success in the past targeting younger coaches but have gone away from that since Mark Davis took over ownership. Perhaps it’s time to take an unproven coach and see if they can strike oil. The Raiders can’t afford to put their next quarterback in a position to fail.