Choosing a new head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders will be one of the biggest choices in the team’s history…
The Las Vegas Raiders will soon turn their attention to finding a long-term head coach.
Antonio Pierce, the interim coach, is in charge now that the 2023–24 season is ended, but that is by no means a given.
After carefully weighing his alternatives, Raiders owner Mark Davis will decide which coach is most suited to guide the team in the future. Still, Pierce has shown he is capable of leading the team, therefore it is not necessary to look for another coach.
For Pierce, the final nine games of this season was his first taste of head coaching in a professional setting. While his 5-4 record may not be particularly noteworthy to statisticians, it is important to take into account the challenges Pierce had while taking over the squad, as those are not shown in the box score.
When Pierce took charge, the squad was heading for a losing campaign. The Raiders were on course for an even poorer record than the 8-9 one they ultimately achieved.
On game days, Pierce’s club lacked direction, identity, and a pulse. The inexperienced head coach performed a fantastic job salvaging a season that was sure to end in disaster.
The fact that Pierce lacks experience is one of the main objections to him taking over as the Raiders’ next head coach. Qualifications have the drawback of being gained only.
The fact that Pierce hasn’t had the chance to demonstrate his full potential as a head coach in the National Football League shouldn’t be grounds for punishment. When Pierce took the helm of an NFL team for the first time, he triumphed over challenges that many other coaches would have found impossible.
And Pierce accomplished this while leading one of the worst offenses in the NFL and without any prior professional coaching experience, draft, offseason, or free agency experience. With just a few more items, just think of what he could do next season.
Consider how many elite players in the NFL would adore working under a coach like Pierce in the world’s entertainment center.
For a variety of reasons, chief among them being that they are the Raiders, there will be significant interest in the person the Raiders select as their next head coach. But, their choice will have an effect on all NFL teams’ future coaching decisions.
There are four black head coaches in the National Football League, including Pierce. Compared to the seven black NFL coaches in the 2018 campaign, this is a decrease.
Despite the fact that football unites individuals of various racial and ethnic backgrounds, almost 70% of NFL players are black. Throughout its history, the NFL has employed over 500 coaches. Less than 30 have been black, mainly because of many of the same arguments against Pierce’s candidacy.
According to NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent, “that [head coaching] position has plagued us.” “A large portion of that stems from the beliefs that persist about these men’s identities and abilities.
Less than five of the 32 NFL teams presently have black head coaches. The NFL is aware that there has never been a sufficient number of black head coaches. The issue is so legitimate that the Rooney Rule was formed in 2003. Teams were required by the rule to interview applicants who identify as minorities when looking for a new head coach.
There’s still a lot of work to be done in this area. However, we think that the construction activities, with a particular emphasis on the pipeline, will have some long-term effects.
