Raiders fire Antonio Pierce; Retain GM Tom Telesco

Tuesday was a big day for the Las Vegas Raiders franchise as once again the team fires another head coach. Pierce, who was hired last season as the team's coach after serving as the interim coach in 2023, led the Raiders to a 4-13 record this season. Raiders GM Mark Davis decided a year was all he needed to see.

"We appreciate Antonio's leadership, first as an interim head coach and this past season as the head coach. Antonio grew up a Raiders fan and his Silver and Black roots run deep. We are grateful for his ability to reignite what it means to be a Raider throughout the entire organization. We wish nothing but the best for Antonio and his family in the future," the team said in a statement.

The Raiders also announced the retaining of General Manager Tom Telesco. Pierce’s tenure as a Raider had plenty of ups and downs. However, it was hard to gain any traction after trading away Davante Adams and not having a consistent starting quarterback. Whoever the Raiders attract as their new coach better have a plan for quarterback. A quarterback room of Aiden O’Connel and Gardner Minshew may not be the most attractive option for a football coach. 

A new wrinkle for the Raiders this hiring cycle is the addition of Tom Brady who serves as a minority owner of the Raiders.  The Raiders have been linked to a few guys with relationships with Brady in his former teammate Mike Vrabel and current Vikings DC Brian Flores. This is now the sixth head coaching vacancy in this cycle, with the Raiders joining the Jets, Saints, Bears, Patriots, and Jaguars.