The Las Vegas Raiders have lastly completed precisely what many hoped they’d in eradicating the interim tag and making Antonio Pierce the everlasting head coach. Pierce has clearly received over the locker room, and plenty of inside and outdoors of the group felt he had completed greater than sufficient to maintain the job.
Now will probably be as much as Pierce and the Raiders to correctly fill out his workers with the precise coordinators and assistants to assist take the Raiders to the subsequent stage. And Pierce has been getting some assist from a particularly influential individual all through his profession.
Based on Mike Garafolo of NFL Community, former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, who was Pierce’s coach throughout his time in New York, can be consulting with Pierce all through the hiring course of:
Subsequent steps for the #Raiders: Rent a GM and construct out Pierce’s teaching workers. Tom Coughlin, who consulted for Pierce in the course of the season, can be amongst these serving to him determine and rent assistants. https://t.co/PlBqy049b9
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 19, 2024
You at all times need folks you belief in your nook, and Pierce clearly trusts Coughlin drastically. Coughlin coached Pierce for 5 seasons with the Giants, as he was one of many defensive leaders on the Giants’ 2007 Tremendous Bowl crew. Coughlin additionally has front-office expertise, having beforehand been head of soccer operations for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As Garafolo famous, Coughlin had been consulting with Pierce in the course of the season as effectively so the connection and belief between the 2 is robust. The larger query is who in the end can be introduced in as the precise workers will make all of the distinction.
Getting their everlasting common supervisor in place would even be splendid for this course of because the Raiders nonetheless have but to take action regardless of beforehand saying they wished to fill that function earlier than the top coach spot.
Interim GM Champ Kelly has been backed by some inside the Raiders and was closely concerned within the head coach hiring course of, which would appear to point he, like Pierce, might have that interim tag eliminated, however nothing has been made official but.
Kliff Kingsbury considered as potential Raiders offensive coordinator underneath Antonio Pierce
One title that has surfaced as an actual risk for the offensive coordinator place is former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Recognized for his inventive offensive thoughts, Kingsbury could possibly be the perfect rent to take the offense to the subsequent stage for a defensive-minded coach like Pierce.
Whereas his time as head coach didn’t go the best way he wished, a stint as offensive coordinator could possibly be simply what he wants to search out himself and present precisely why he was such a coveted head coach candidate within the first place.