Previously, the Silver & Black’s leader was a verbose exaggeration machine.
While current Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has thrown some gems here and there, he has avoided exaggerations that should be taken with a grain of salt.
Take Pierce’s response to a question concerning the composition of his coaching staff. The Raiders’ head coach expects the team’s blend of weathered veterans and youthful up-and-comers will synergize and lead to success in Vegas.
“Yeah, just because of time, technology,” Pierce said when asked if it was planned to jumble everything up as the coach did. “Do you think Marvin Lewis, Rob Ryan, and Joe Philbin will go crazy on that computer?” No. Then there are some individuals who have just graduated from college, as well as other younger guys who have come up through the college ranks and other places and are very tech aware.”
Pierce’s method of crazy was, of course, expanded. But he started with something practical. Not to be ageist, but older coaches like Lewis, Ryan, and Philbin can up their tech game if they want to, but it’s lot easier and more practicable to let a younger coach to undertake that type of work if they’re already familiar with technology, which advances quickly. In Pierce’s opinion, this should result in a naturally synergistic interaction between the coaching staff. The younger, more tech-savvy coaches assisting the elder statesman OGs should result in close connections.
And for a Raiders club that relies on its coaching staff to be prim and proper in order to develop a winning team, a bonded staff is essential.
“And I think for all of us, and I’ve talked about it, we always say we’ve got to coach the players, but coaches need to be coached,” Pierce said, referring to his coaching staff. “And how can you pass up the experience of Marvin Lewis, Joe Philbin, and Rob Ryan — which I’m sure was a great chat for you guys yesterday? I’m thrilled that they want to work alongside me and the rest of our team because they have other skills.
“Does Marvin Lewis actually need to coach? Not really. Joe Philbin? Not really. Rob Ryan, I mean, all those gentlemen have been in the game for more than 30 years. So to be in a conference room and just hear them talk, not just to me, but to the receiving coach or our new offensive assistant, whoever it is, is crucial.
Pierce’s last line is particularly important.
As the Raiders coaching staff rotated through the media circuit this offseason following OTAs and mandatory minicamp sessions, many were asked about the autonomy and authority they’ve received from the head coach. Pierce has given his personnel the authority to manage their rooms, position groups, and units. And, while Pierce has the strongest voice in the room because of his position as head coach, he isn’t the kind to drown out other coaches and ideas at Raiders headquarters and on the practice field.
“Yes, because I cannot do everything. I cannot be in every room. We currently have meetings going on. “I can’t be in there,” Pierce said about empowering his employees. “But it actually began with our staff, having them present various ideas in front of the full staff, from offense to defense to special teams, and encouraging some of our younger coaches to come up and communicate. As you can see, I believe we have hired a really competent staff, and there are a lot of us, 29 coaches to be exact. There is a wealth of knowledge there, and it would be a tragedy if we did not share it with our players as well as the coaches. So I want to make sure they understand that their voice can be heard and that they can speak, but that there is a time and place for everything, and that everyone knows their position.
“But I would be a fool not to have the gentlemen that I brought in this building speak and have that empowerment to talk to the players and vice versa.”
That’s drawn positivism, and Ryan said it up best:
Of course, the effectiveness of the Raiders’ coaching staff will be determined by the number of wins and losses the team accumulates this season and thereafter. Because the record is frequently the sole indicator of a team’s success.
Under Pierce’s interim leadership, Las Vegas improved to 5-4 after starting 3-5 under former head coach Josh McDaniels. Prior to that, the Raiders finished 6-11 in McDaniels’ first season as head coach. In 2021, the Raiders began 3-2 under King Hyperbole himself, Jon Gruden, before interim coach Rich Bisaccia led the team to a 7-5 record and a playoff trip.
This leads us to today, when Pierce begins his new role as the Silver & Black’s full-time shot caller. The team is taking a break until training camp begins in late July in Costa Mesa, California. And Pierce is ready to get his coaching staff, his players, and his Raiders back on track.
“I believe that playing at a high level gives me the respect and accountability to be able to talk to them and know I’m not lying. But they also understand that I will not BS them as a person. And we communicate clearly and directly. There is no grey. We generally say black and white, but it’s silver and black here. And they do a great job of asking questions. When I talk, we make eye contact and nod. Various persons have spoken throughout the offseason. I don’t need to wear out my voice. Starting July 23, I will be speaking a lot more. They understand my intention. They are aware of my aim. They understand why I’m here, that I’m here to help them, and that I’m their biggest supporter, but they also recognize that I’m their harshest critic.
“And when it gets real, they’re going to hear it direct.”
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