Antonio Pierce was named Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders by Owner Mark Davis on Jan. 19, 2024. He was named to the post following a nine-game stint as the team's Interim Head Coach during the 2023 season. Pierce, a nine-year NFL veteran player and a former Super Bowl Champion, team captain and Pro Bowl selection, enters his third season with the Silver and Black after originally joining the Raiders as linebackers coach in 2022.
Pierce assumed Interim Head Coach duties prior to Week 9 of the 2023 season and posted a 5-4 record in nine games, highlighted by a 3-1 mark against AFC West opponents. Pierce's leadership rejuvenated the franchise midseason and inspired several outstanding performances, including a franchise-record 63 points in a Week 15 win over the Chargers, and an emphatic road victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day that featured two defensive scores for the Silver and Black.
Under his guidance, the Raiders finished the season with the fewest penalties in the NFL (75) and twice completed games without a single penalty flag. After Pierce took the helm on Oct. 31, the Raiders were tied for 10th in the NFL in takeaways (14), tied for fifth in turnover margin (+6), and tied for third in sacks (30). The defense also allowed a league-low 16.0 points per game.
His presence was felt in all three phases last season, as rookie Aidan O'Connell was named the starting quarterback prior to Week 9 and promptly led the Raiders to victories in the first two games of Pierce's tenure. The Raiders later became just one of three NFL teams to score 20-or-more points in each of the last four games of the regular season. The opportunistic defense finished the season with five touchdowns, the second-highest total in the NFL and the second most in a season in franchise history. On special teams, Pro Bowl selection AJ Cole continued to emerge as one of the NFL's elite punters and two players finished ranked among the league's top-20 in special teams tackles.
Pierce's linebacker corps was a key catalyst for the defense, as free agent acquisition Robert Spillane paced the team with 148 tackles and rarely missed a snap, starting all 17 games and earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors following a two-interception performance in a win over Green Bay. Divine Deablo also eclipsed the century mark for tackles, totaling 105 stops to give the Raiders two 100-tackle performers at linebacker for the first time since 2013.
In his first season with the Silver and Black in 2022, Pierce tutored a linebacker group that included two undrafted rookie free agents in Luke Masterson and Darien Butler. Masterson played in all 17 games with seven starts, and his 50 tackles ranked third-most in the NFL among undrafted rookies and second-most in a single season in Raiders history by a UDFA. Pierce also guided Deablo's progression, as he averaged 9.25 tackles per game, the 11th best average in the league, while veteran Denzel Perryman established a career high with two interceptions on the year.
Before entering the NFL coaching ranks, Pierce spent four seasons at Arizona State, serving as linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator before adding the titles of associate head coach and defensive coordinator. As a part of Head Coach Herm Edwards' staff, Pierce established himself as one of the nation's elite recruiters as the Sun Devils posted a 25-18 overall record and appeared in three bowl games during that stretch.
In 2021, Pierce was promoted to defensive coordinator and helped the Sun Devils rank first in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (20.8), first in total yards allowed per game (326.3), tied for first in defensive touchdowns (three), second in interceptions (16) and second in sacks (27). A highly decorated unit, Arizona State's defense was rewarded with seven All-Pac-12 selections, including a first-team honor for defensive tackle Tyler Johnson and second-team recognition for both defensive lineman D.J. Davidson and linebacker Darien Butler. Jack Jones, Chase Lucas, and De'Andre Pierce were among the defensive backs tabbed for honorable mention notice in addition to linebacker Merlin Robertson. Four different players on Pierce's defense recorded multiple interceptions as Arizona State posted an 8-5 record and appeared in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Pierce added co-defensive coordinator responsibilities to his role in 2020, helping lead Arizona State to a 2-2 record in an abbreviated season that saw the defenders Tyler Johnson and Chase Lucas earn second-team All-Pac-12 honors. His defense held rival Arizona to just seven points in a 70-7 Territorial Cup triumph that marked the second-largest margin of victory in the annual series between the two schools. Prior to the season, Arizona State's 2020 recruiting class was ranked 23rd in the nation and fourth in the Pac-12, according to 247Sports.com. Of the 18 individuals in that incoming freshman class, 11 players were regarded as four-star prospects by at least one recruiting service.
In 2019, Arizona State finished 35th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 22.4 points per game, and ranked 21st nationally in rushing defense, allowing just 115.8 yards per contest. Pierce's linebacker corps included Khaylan Kearse-Thomas, who garnered All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors, as well as Darien Butler, who led the team with 79 tackles and became the first true sophomore in program history to be named a team captain.
In Pierce's first season at Arizona State, he tutored linebacker Merlin Robertson, who was named the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year after leading the team with 77 tackles, five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. In all, Pierce's group finished the season with three first-year starters at linebacker, including Robertson, true freshman Darien Butler and redshirt freshman Tyler Johnson.
Prior to entering the collegiate coaching ranks, Pierce was the head coach of traditional California prep powerhouse Long Beach Poly High School from 2014-17. In his four years at the helm, the Jackrabbits posted a 31-15 overall record, including a 21-3 mark against Moore League competition. Long Beach Poly posted three undefeated 6-0 records in league play in Pierce's four seasons as head coach, and his 2017 team advanced to the CIF Southern Section quarterfinals.
During his time at Long Beach Poly, 54 of Pierce's student-athletes earned collegiate scholarships to continue their education, 24 of whom did so at the NCAA Division I level. He helped develop future NFL draft picks in defensive back Alex Austin, quarterback Matt Corral and cornerback Jack Jones, who in 2023 joined the Raiders in midseason.
Pierce played nine years in the NFL, entering the league as an undrafted free agent with Washington, and playing in 55 games with 25 starts over four seasons before signing with the New York Giants as an unrestricted free agent in 2005. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2006 after posting a career-high 139 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss. A team captain with the Giants, Pierce helped lead New York to victory in Super Bowl XLII. Over his nine-year career, Pierce played in 115 games with 85 starts, totaling 732 tackles (462 solo), eight sacks, seven interceptions, eight forced fumbles and 11 fumble recoveries.
PERSONAL: A native of Long Beach, Calif., Pierce grew up in Compton, Calif., and attended Paramount (Calif.) High School, where he was an All-CIF Southern Section selection as a linebacker and also played fullback…He played two years at Arizona, seeing action in 23 games and totaling 152 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and seven sacks…As a senior, he recorded 77 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception and one blocked kick for the Wildcats…Prior to Arizona, he played two years at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif., and led the Mounties to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) championship in 1997.
