Raiders Set to Replace Antonio Pierce With the NFL's 'Most Sought-After Coach'

Though the Las Vegas Raiders were able to break a 10-game winning streak over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16, head coach Antonio Pierce’s future is still in doubt. The magic he had as an interim head coach last season is nowhere to be seen in 2024.

The Raiders don’t want to keep cycling through head coaches but they also won’t double down on Pierce, especially since a big-name candidate might be eyeing the job. One of the biggest surprises of the offseason was when the Tennessee Titans fired head coach Mike Vrabel.

He decided to take a year off from being a head coach and is serving as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns. All signs point to him being ready to return to the sidelines in 2025 and the Raiders are a logical destination for him if the job opens.

The New York Post’s Brian Costello predicts that Las Vegas will fire Pierce and replace him with Vrabel.

“I think Vrabel is heading for the Raiders,” Costello said on the Dec. 26 episode of the “Gang’s All Here” podcast. “That would be my prediction right now is that he’s going to the Raiders because I think the Tom Brady connection there will be strong. That’s where the murmurings in the league have him going. Las Vegas.”

Mike Vrabel Named ‘Most Sight-After Coach’

A big reason why Vrabel has been linked to the Raiders is due to Tom Brady. The legendary quarterback is now a part owner of the Raiders and he played with Vrabel while they were both on the New England Patriots.

However, this wouldn’t be a situation where Brady is just hiring his buddy. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Vrabel is widely considered the best coaching candidate this offseason.

“I think without a doubt headed into this coaching cycle here—Mike Vrabel is hands down going to be the most sought-out coach, because we’re seeing the trend once again being about a leader, a CEO that can quickly establish a culture and an identity for teams that are in need,” Russini said on the “Scoop City” podcast.

It’s difficult to find coaches with a proven track record of success like Vrabel on the open market. Considering he had issues with Titans ownership, it would make sense why he’d want to go to a franchise where he knows he can trust at least one of the owners.

Can Pierce Save His Job?

Many are ready to see Pierce get fired after one season as the full-time head coach but he’s not a dead man walking yet. Raiders owner Mark Davis could’ve easily hired Vrabel last offseason but chose not to.

He is a fan of Pierce and wants him to be successful. The Raiders have cycled through many coaches since Davis took over the franchise and he can’t be too excited about the idea of launching another head coaching search.

That said, there’s no history that would show that Pierce can be a successful head coach. With Vrabel, the Raiders would at least know that he’s a proven winner. Davis may favor a sure thing rather than taking another risk by keeping Pierce around.