antonio pierce

Antonio Pierce Set To Be Next Raiders Coach

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Antonio Pierce will be the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Pierce took over from Josh McDaniels around midseason and went 5-4 in his first nine games. A former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, Pierce had been working as the team’s linebackers coach prior to being elevated to interim head coach.

The Raiders locker room has experienced a massive turnaround under Pierce, who is a much-loved figure within the organization. “It’s legendary. When you have the right culture, a guy like A.P. that embraces the history of the Raiders, it’s special. … A ton of legends [visit] consistently because of the amount of respect they have for him. So it makes you, as a player, want to go out there and show who you are. You know what I mean? You want to be at that level one day,” Maxx Crosby said after the team’s regular-season finale.

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Gronk Backs Bill Belichick Amid Falcons Rumors

Meanwhile, Rob Gronkowski has said that his former long-time head coach Bill Belichick is still a “powerhouse”. “I think, 100 percent, he’s still the great Bill Belichick. No doubt about that. If he goes to a team with great players with great talent, he will be successful. Because he’s still the powerhouse coach that we all have seen throughout the years,” Gronk told TMZ this week. However, Gronk also praised Belichick’s New England replacement – his former teammate Jerod Mayo.

However, some former Patriots have offered a warning to Belichick’s next team. Asante Samuel told Belichick’s next employer to keep the legendary coach as a coach only and not, as he had been in New England, general manager also. “If any owner would give Bill Belichick that power again, that would be crazy,” Samuel, who played for Belichick between 2003 and 2007, told TMZ. Belichick served in the dual role of head coach and general manager since taking the helm at Foxoboro in 2000. Over time, Belichick the GM often got in the way of Belichick the head coach. After picking eight Pro Bowlers (and one Hall of Famer) in the first round between 2001 and 2012, Belichick has drafted just one first-round Pro Bowler in the last 11 years.

Read More: Bill Belichick Could Join Playoff Team, Adam Schefter Claims

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Raiders Locker Room Atmosphere Greatly Improved By Josh McDaniels Firing

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There has been a massive shift in the locker room of the Las Vegas Raiders after the firing of head coach Josh McDaniels earlier this week. Davante Adams was seen shooting hoops, several of the O-Lineman had an impromptu wrestling tournament. Overall, everyone was just having a good time. “I think [interim coach Antonio Pierce] just let us kind of be ourselves and let our hair down. Just have fun playing football again and not just walk on eggshells everywhere. Just go out there and enjoy playing like we’re kids,” wide receiver Hunter Renfrow said.

Pierce, a former Super Bowl-winning linebacker, was promoted from linebackers coach to head coach ahead of a matchup with the Giants this weekend. He will look to salvage a 3-5 start to the season that was achieved under McDaniels. Furthermore, Pierce will have to coach rookie QB Aidan O’Connell as Jimmy Garroppolo remains benched by the team. It remains to be seen whether the team can turns things around before the end of the season.

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McDaniels Fired After Season And A Half

If you missed it, the Raiders effectively cleaned house earlier this week. Following a 26-14 loss to Detroit, the team fired head coach Josh McDaniels, GM Dave Ziegler, and offensive coordinator Mike Lombardi. As mentioned, linebackers coach Antonio Pierce will serve as interim head coach, while quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree will be promoted to offensive coordinator. Pierce won a Super Bowl as player and has been coached at various levels of the game since 2014.

Reacting to the news on First Take, Stephen A. Smith gave a very astute prediction of where McDaniels is likely headed next. “Bill O’Brien, I hope you enjoy your one year with the Patriots. Because move aside, Josh McDaniels is going to come back to the one place where he’s found success,” Smith said. McDaniels has spent a combined 16 years working with the Patriots organization, including multiple stints as a Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator.

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