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Las Vegas Raiders HC Antonio Pierce.
The Las Vegas Raiders could be launching yet another head coaching search this offseason. Owner Mark Davis was recently non-commital about current head coach Antonio Pierce, which could be a sign that he’s on the hot seat if the team doesn’t start playing better soon.
What works against Pierce is that there are some very good head coaching candidates this offseason, especially one who has a close relationship with new Raiders part owner Tom Brady. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler expects former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel to get a lot of interest this offseason and Las Vegas would be a team to keep an eye on if that job opens up.
“Some around the league have noted the Cowboys as a natural fit,” Fowler wrote in a Dec. 11 column. “They valued experience and pedigree with their last hire in Mike McCarthy and could lean that way again, if they decide to make a change at all. The Raiders make a lot of sense, should that job open. I don’t necessarily see the Saints or Jets as the play, though it’s early. Jacksonville feels like a possibility, too.”
In six years with Tennessee, Vrabel had a 54-45 record and led the team to the best record in the AFC in 2021. He was surprisingly fired last offseason but will almost certainly be a head coach again in 2025.
Nobody Knows Antonio Pierce’s Status
The Raiders aren’t saying much about Pierce’s status. It’s rare for teams to fire head coaches after one season, especially when they haven’t been involved in a major controversy.
According to Fowler, nobody around the NFL really has a good grasp on what the Raiders will do with Pierce.
“Sources I’ve talked to are torn on the Raiders,” Fowler wrote. “There is a feeling in some league circles that the job could come open, in part because the team cut a shorter-term deal with Pierce, their once-interim coach. And the Raiders need updates to several parts of their football operation. But Pierce inherited one of the league’s worst quarterback situations and suffered a rash of injuries, so a one-and-done would be severe.”
Mike Vrabel Most Hyped Candidate
If the Raiders feel like they can get Vrabel, they have to strongly consider moving on from Pierce. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Vrabel might be the top head coaching candidate for many teams this offseason.
“For now, the former player-turned-coach getting the most hype around the league is former Titans head coach and current Browns consultant Mike Vrabel,” Russini wrote in a Nov. 16 column. “As owners look around at the league’s successful head coaches, the culture-builders stand out (think Dan Campbell, Mike Tomlin and Raheem Morris). Vrabel fits into that category, a former player who can unite a locker room while holding his players accountable. Vrabel was a finalist for the Chargers and Falcons jobs last year. He wants to coach in 2025 and I expect him to have his pick of available jobs.”
Vrabel is well-regarded around the NFL and landing a coach of the status would make sense for the Raiders. They are in the AFC West which has three of the best head coaches in the NFL in Andy Reid, Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton. Even if Pierce can improve as he gets more experience, the Raiders are going to be at a major coaching disadvantage for at least the next few years.
