Antonio Pierce, the new head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, reportedly ran afoul of his old boss for glorifying his stint as the New York Giants. It appears that the same ties may have played a significant role in helping Pierce get the position of full-time head coach with the team.
The previous two weeks have been quite exciting for the Las Vegas Raiders. Within a year and a half of joining the team, general manager Dave Ziegler, a fellow Patriots graduate, and head coach Josh McDaniels were dismissed following a disastrous team meeting and five straight losses.
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The team promoted linebackers coach Antonio Pierce to the position of head coach in McDaniel’s place. The nine-year NFL veteran’s strong rapport with the team and his passionate speech about creating a new Raiders culture are reportedly the reasons he was hired. But he also allegedly offended McDaniels in that same speech.
New Las Vegas Raiders head coach leaning on New York Giants roots
He referenced his experience with the New York Giants and buying into the strategy during their season that resulted in the upset win over the Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl as an example of what belief can achieve for a club in his plea to the current Las Vegas group. As the team’s coach, McDaniels took exception at the remarks and informed Pierce about them during the meeting. Who knows if it would have ultimately cost the former captain of the Giants his job, but luckily for him, that prospect was avoided in Week 8.
But the new head coach appears to be benefiting greatly from the same New York past; he is 2-0 thus far, including a victory over the Giants in Week 9. “Pierce has leaned on his head coach from his playing days, Tom Coughlin, to help him navigate head-coaching waters,” according to a Saturday report from CBS Sports.
The Giants won their final two titles under Coughlin in 2008 and 2012. After three losing seasons, he was let go by the team in 2015, yet he finished with a 102-90 record. He spent eight years as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, with four winning seasons and one trip to the AFC Championship, before accepting the Giants position.
