Despite the Las Vegas Raiders experiencing a 20-13 defeat against the Miami Dolphins, confidence in interim head coach Antonio Pierce remains robust. Since taking over from Josh McDaniels, Pierce has led the team to a 2-1 record and showcased strong competitiveness against the formidable Dolphins, considered one of the top teams in the NFL.
Even in the aftermath of the loss, Keyshawn Johnson, a former NFL wide receiver turned Fox Sports analyst, is emphatic about his endorsement of Pierce. Johnson contends that there should be no lingering debate about whether Pierce deserves the permanent head coaching position for the Raiders. During a November 20 appearance on “The Herd,” Johnson expressed his conviction, stating that Mark Davis, the team owner, should already be in discussions with the president and general manager about officially appointing Antonio Pierce as the Raiders’ permanent head coach. Pierce’s early indicators are promising, as players have definitely gathered around him. He’ll have a legitimate opportunity at becoming the full-time head coach after the season, but the situation is difficult for the time being.
Las Vegas Raiders Can’t Give Antonio Pierce Full-Time Job Yet
Keyshawn Johnson isn’t the first person to say the Raiders should make the move to promote Antonio Pierce but it’s simply not possible right now, according to NFL rules. The Rooney Rule states that “Clubs must conduct an in-person interview with at least one external minority candidate for any GM or head coaching interview” when they’ve moved on from a previous head coach. While Pierce is a minority candidate, he is not an external one. Though Jeff Saturday would not qualify as a minority candidate, the topic came up when he served as the interim head coach for the Indianapolis Colts last season. Pittsburgh Steelers president and chair of the NFL’s workplace diversity committee Art Rooney II made it clear at the time that the Colts would have to do a full search regardless of how Saturday performed. “Once the season’s over, the position has to be declared vacant, and they have to comply with all the rules,” Rooney said of the Colts at an owners meeting last year, via Pro Football Talk. “So as much as coach Saturday might be a candidate, they still have to go through all the procedures and requirements to fill the position that any other club would have. … The requirements still are there after the season, and we expect they’ll be complied with.” Heavy Sports has reached out to the NFL for further clarification but based on this information, the Raiders would have to conduct a full head coaching search this offseason to satisfy the Rooney Rule.
No Rush to Make Decision
While Antonio Pierce has shown promise, there’s no reason for the Raiders to rush a decision even if the Rooney Rule didn’t exist. There are still six games left in the season for Pierce to keep showing Mark Davis why he deserves the job going forward. Pierce only has less than two seasons of NFL coaching experience so it’d be risky to give him the full-time job after just three games. He’ll have a real chance to get the job but the Raiders are in a good position to evaluate him in the coming weeks.
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