The Las Vegas Raiders are moving on from their head coach once again.
Antonio Pierce was fired on Tuesday following his first full season as the team's head coach, which ended on Sunday with a loss at home against the Los Angeles Chargers. The team confirmed the decision in a statement.
"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."
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first reported the news. ESPN's Adam Schefter added that general manager Tom Telesco will be retained.
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The team elevated Pierce to interim head coach midway through the 2023 season after it fired Josh McDaniels one-and-a-half years into a six-year deal. Pierce went on to lead the Raiders to a 5-4 record to close out the 2023 season, and the organization awarded him the full-time role in January.
Las Vegas jumped out to a 2-2 start in 2024, but things then went off the rails.
Off the field, star wide receiver Davante Adams revealed that he had not heard from Pierce after the head coach appeared to like a social media post suggesting the team trade him. A trade soon came to fruition, as Adams was sent to the New York Jets and reunited with quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Oct. 15.
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Things were even worse on the field. Las Vegas proceeded to lose 10 straight games from between Weeks 5-15, only to pick up wins in Weeks 16 and 17 over the depleted Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints, respectively. The team closed out the season with their Week 18 loss against the Chargers, finishing with a 4-13 record and the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Raiders will begin the search for their 13th head coach of the 21st century and fifth head coach since 2020. No Raiders head coach has held onto the role for two full seasons since Jon Gruden, who returned to the franchise in 2018 and led the team until his controversial resignation during the 2021 season.
