The “interim” tag has been eliminated and former New York Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce is now formally the full-time head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders made the hiring announcement on Friday.
Pierce took over the interim function after Las Vegas fired Josh McDaniels halfway by way of the season. His teaching debut, mockingly, got here towards the Giants in Week 9. The Raiders had been victorious, 30-6.
After beginning the season 3-5, Pierce helped flip issues round and led the Raiders to a 5-4 end (8-9 general). Three of the 4 losses had been by a mixed 13 factors.
The 45-year-old Pierce was initially signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free-agent rookie out of Arizona in 2001. After 4 seasons in D.C., Pierce signed with the Giants in 2005 and remained with Huge Blue till his retirement in 2010.
Throughout his time with the Giants, Pierce was named a group captain and carved out a pleasant place in franchise historical past. He was a catalyst within the group’s Tremendous Bowl run in 2007, which was capped off by the biggest upset in NFL historical past — a 17-14 victory over Tom Brady and the then-undefeated New England Patriots.
Pierce was named to the Professional Bowl in 2006 as a member of the Giants and recorded 691 profession tackles and 9 profession sacks.
