Raiders Rumors: How Antonio Pierce ‘Patched the Staff Together’ Caused Coaching Issue

Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerFeatured Columnist IVNovember 4, 2024

Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images

Antonio Pierce’s experience as an NFL head coach might have presented an issue when he put together his staff ahead of the 2024 season.

The MMQB’s Albert Breer reported Monday that there’s “some pessimism in that building on the direction of the team right now.”

“Part of the issue to this point, as I’ve heard it, is the way Pierce patched the staff together, rather than making sure there was alignment on both sides of the ball,” Breer wrote. “That led to coaches having to invest time teaching other coaches, which didn’t help with the players.”

The Raiders’ 2-7 record isn’t a total shock because this was always shaping up to be a rebuilding year. A team that opens with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell at quarterback isn’t trying to contend.

However, reshuffling the coaching staff after nine games isn’t an encouraging sign. Las Vegas confirmed Monday morning it fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello and offensive line coach James Cregg. All three were hired this past offseason.

It’s hard to see their exits as anything other than a sign the pressure is mounting on Pierce.

Sam Monson @SamMonsonNFLThe Raiders have identified the problem, and it turns out it was everybody except Antonio Pierce.

Don’t worry, they got it fixed now.

Matt Verderame @MattVerderameThe Raiders fired three coaches who they just hired after nine games.

They’ve also benched Gardner Minshew twice for two difference quarterbacks, including one who got there less than a month ago.

Antonio Pierce … nice job. Woof.

Removing the interim tag from Pierce made sense at the time. The Raiders went 5-4 after he replaced Josh McDaniels and the locker room was firmly behind him.

There’s still time for the retired linebacker to prove he was the right candidate all along. Should the current results continue, on the other hand, Las Vegas is likely to be a cautionary tale the next time a groundswell builds around a popular interim coach who exceeds expectations.