‘He’s unapologetically himself’: Raiders rally around 1st-year coach

A hazy glare hung over the Raiders’ practice field in Henderson as the offense lined up against the defense in a red zone period Aug. 13.

Training camp is always highly competitive, but nothing gets players more jacked up than working in the combative real estate near the goal line.

Amid the chatter and chaos of quarterback Gardner Minshew barking out instructions and Maxx Crosby and the defense making adjustments, a solitary figure sat on one knee a few feet from all the action.

Antonio Pierce, now in his first full season as Raiders coach, was keeping a close eye on his team.

And make no mistake, this is his team. The Raiders, from their roster construction to their demeanor, reflect the mindset and spirit of a 45-year-old coach who has experienced a meteoric rise following his career as an NFL linebacker.

His ascent now seems so natural it’s hard to imagine anyone else leading the franchise. Pierce didn’t just wrap his arms around the “Raider way” when owner Mark Davis tabbed him to replace coach Josh McDaniels eight games into last season. He embodied it.

“He’s unapologetically himself,” linebacker Robert Spillane said.

His players don’t just love Pierce for that. They rally around his energy.

“He never makes a player feel uncomfortable with being yourself,” said cornerback Jack Jones, who has known Pierce since he was in high school. “It doesn’t matter how that looks. Just come be yourself.”

Embracing the Raiders way

The swagger. The toughness. The encouragement to express oneself.

It’s a throwback to bygone years when Raiders leaders like Al Davis, John Madden and Tom Flores created a welcoming environment that focused less on appearances and more on results. It’s how Davis built his franchise. It’s an atmosphere Davis’ son Mark is eager to recreate.

That’s just what Pierce plans on doing.

“I mean, it’s in our DNA. We talk about it every day,” Pierce said. “The Raider way, the Raider culture, and that never changes. It’s how we carry ourselves. We talk about pride, poise, passion and, when we get pads on, being physical as hell.”

Pierce put his words into action around the locker room after being put in charge.

Players no longer tip-toed around the facility and talked in hushed tones, as they did during the final weeks of McDaniels’ tenure. Instead, the Raiders’ headquarters became an energetic, boisterous place. A mini basketball hoop popped up in the middle of the locker room and players took turns dunking on one another while talking trash.

It was one example of Pierce giving his players the green light to be themselves.

“They’re going to talk the way they talk,” Pierce said. “I’m not going to kind of hold them back from doing it.”

The Raiders won five of their final nine games last season under Pierce. That stretch included wins over all three of their AFC West rivals in the Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos.

Victories were celebrated with cigars and music inside the locker room. Raiders alumni were welcomed to take part.

The team didn’t let fun get in the way of discipline, either. The Raiders were the least penalized team in the NFL after Pierce took over. Their defense was among the best in the league.

Players honored the freedom he gave them, rather than abusing it.

Jones said Pierce’s message was: “Take care of your job, your responsibility, and we’re good from there.”

Strong connection

The bond Pierce and his players formed was obvious.

It showed up when Crosby lobbied hard for Pierce to have his interim tag removed after the season on his podcast “The Rush.” Crosby even hinted he could try to leave if the Raiders hired someone else.

“I want to be a Raider,” Crosby said. “But if we go in a different direction, there is nothing that is off the table.”

Cornerback Nate Hobbs said the reason for that loyalty is simple.

“We trust AP because AP trusts us,” Hobbs said. “As a player, that’s one of the biggest things you could have from a coach is that trust and that credibility and belief. He believes in you and that almost makes you more ready to go. I feel like that breeds ultimate buy-in and confidence.”

That doesn’t mean Pierce doesn’t have lines players can’t cross. And he has no issues laying down the law if they do.

“Whenever it becomes detrimental, we’ll talk about it,” Pierce said. “But at the end of the day, this is professional football. No matter what you say or do, it’s all about (what happens on) the grass.”

Rapid rise

Pierce grew up a Raiders fan in Southern California, never imagining he would one today lead the team he watched from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum bleachers.

He didn’t even go into coaching right away after wrapping up a nine-year playing career that included a win in Super Bowl 42 with the Giants. He first became an analyst for ESPN when he hung up his cleats in 2010.

But Pierce returned to his hometown of Long Beach in 2014 to take over as coach of Long Beach Poly, a Southern California powerhouse that often sends players to college football and the NFL. He moved to the college ranks in 2017 when former NFL coach Herm Edwards offered Pierce a job as Arizona State’s linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator.

Pierce received more responsibility before long. He became the Sun Devils’ associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator in 2020. He became the sole defensive coordinator a year later.

Controversy soon surrounded the program, however.

Arizona State was accused of recruiting violations under Edwards and Pierce’s watch. The infractions included “impermissible in-person recruiting contacts during the COVID-19 dead period, recruiting inducements, impermissible tryouts and tampering,” the NCAA said in April.

Pierce, in the wake of the accusations, resigned from the Sun Devils in 2022. He was hired by McDaniels to be the Raiders’ linebackers coach soon after. He was one of the most popular people in the building before long.

Pierce’s energy, as well as his clout as a former player, made him someone players gravitated to. Raiders decision-makers thought he had the makings of a future head coach.

Davis in particular had a hunch about Pierce. He believed his organization needed a leader of men after McDaniels was fired Oct. 31, more than a schematic wizard.

Pierce, after being offered the job on an interim basis, needed a few minutes to take it in.

“I walked outside to our practice field and just looked around,” Pierce said. “It was quiet. It was dark. Looking at the stars, just kind of looking up there and just saying, ‘Wow, surreal.’ Then just really taking in the moment.”

Moving forward

Pierce’s first full season in Las Vegas will be largely defined by his quarterbacks.

Minshew will begin the season as the starter, with second-year pro Aidan O’Connell waiting in the wings as the backup. Neither is viewed as the Raiders’ long-term solution at the position, meaning the search for a franchise passer will continue in the offseason.

The team still expects to compete this year. The Raiders even believe they can make the playoffs if Minshew or O’Connell give them even average production. The roster is talented almost everywhere else, especially on defense.

It’s up to Pierce to get the most out of the group. He surrounded himself with an experienced staff to do so, knowing he still has much to learn.

Longtime Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is Pierce’s assistant head coach. Former Dolphins coach Joe Philbin is a senior offensive assistant. Rob Ryan, who has coached in the NFL for 24 years, is a senior defensive assistant. Pierce will lean on all of them as he grows into his role.

Things look good so far. The Raiders’ first full offseason under Pierce was smooth, as he and new general manager Tom Telesco worked hand-in-hand to rebuild the roster.

Obstacles are bound to appear, however. Pierce will have to grow as a game manager. He will have to monitor wide receiver Davante Adams to make sure the star doesn’t get frustrated if the season goes sideways.

More than anything, this year will be about Pierce continuing to build a culture that prioritizes fun, physicality and playmaking.

Pierce wanted to make sure he was seeing all of that up close as he took a knee during that Aug. 13 training camp practice. He watched his players move at lightning speed at the snap of the ball. They didn’t stop until Minshew lofted a ball into the corner of the end zone for a touchdown to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.

Pierce did not move an inch the entire time except to smile and nod his head in approval. In a season sure to be filled with ups and downs, the Raiders’ new leader liked what he saw from his team in that moment.

And it is his team. Make no mistake about that.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.