After abruptly firing Josh McDaniels in the wake of an embarrassing 26-14 loss on ‘Monday Night Football,’ the Las Vegas Raiders have named linebackers coach Antonio Pierce as their interim head coach.

Pierce, 45, will have the unenviable task of trying to turn around a sputtering 3-5 team with an often-injured quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo that ranks next-to-last in the NFL in total offense.

Pierce’s only head coaching experience was a four-year stint at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in California. He also spent four seasons as a linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Arizona State before joining the Raiders in 2022.

Did Antonio Pierce play in the NFL?

Pierce played nine seasons in the NFL; his first four in Washington and final five with the New York Giants. He began his career as primarily a backup and special teams player, but became a starter in his final year with Washington, racking up 114 tackles and returning an interception 78 yards for a touchdown.

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Pierce signed with the Giants as a free agent in 2005 and started all 69 games in which he played over the next five years. He was named to the Pro Bowl after the 2006 season and was on the 2007 Giants team that defeated Tom Brady and the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl 42.

Why did Antonio Pierce resign at Arizona State?

Pierce was the first assistant Herm Edwards hired when he was appointed head coach at Arizona State in December 2017. 

Pierce served as defensive coordinator, associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Arizona State before resigning in February 2022 with the school under investigation for alleged recruiting violations. As recruiting coordinator, Pierce was prominently mentioned in a Yahoo Sports report about the school’s alleged illegal activities during the time COVID-19 precautions banned on-campus recruiting visits.

The probe eventually resulted in Arizona State implementing a self-imposed bowl ban for the 2023 season.

Where did Antonio Pierce go to college?

Pierce played linebacker for two years at Mount San Antonio College (Walnut, Calif.) before transferring to Arizona in 2000 for his senior season. He was not selected in the 2001 NFL draft, signing with Washington as a free agent.