For the Raiders opening, Mark Davis is regarded as a legendary coach: Report TO BE ENTERTAINED
It appeared that the Las Vegas Raiders will make significant changes following the season when they dismissed Josh McDaniels during the 2023 campaign and elevated Antonio Pierce to interim head coach. Nevertheless, Pierce performed admirably in the role and was awarded the full-time head coaching position.
That was nearly not the case, though, as owner Mark Davis thought about his alternatives. According to a report from ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham, and Jeremy Fowler, one of those alternatives featured renowned former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, two of Belichick’s erstwhile disciples, were let go by the Raiders, according to a column written by Van Natta, Wickersham, and Fowler on April 17. “After interviewing other candidates, owner Mark Davis decided against contacting Belichick and instead removed the interim from Antonio Pierce’s position as head coach.”
Although it seems that Davis’ interest in Belichick was mostly theoretical, it was nevertheless something he gave some thought to. Coach Belichick is among the best in NFL history, having won six Super Bowls in his tenure. He failed to secure a position as head coach this summer in spite of this. Some find fault with Belichick’s preferred method of doing things. After leaving McDaniels, Davis must have wanted to establish a more positive atmosphere since Pierce has been all smiles since joining the Raiders.
Going Back to the Patriot Way Would Have Raised Debate
The “Patriot Way” was unsuccessfully attempted to be introduced to Las Vegas by Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler. Playing clean football and focusing on the little things are hallmarks of the “Patriot Way.” Even while it has shown to be effective, playing football becomes far less enjoyable as a result.
Once McDaniels and Ziegler were gone, the Raiders players’ mindset abruptly shifted. It is considerably more difficult to adopt the “Patriot Way” because it didn’t result in much wins in Las Vegas. Since the Patriots have missed the playoffs three out of the previous four seasons, the “Patriot Way” has even lost its effectiveness in New England.
Even with Belichick, players and fans probably wouldn’t have welcomed a return to the “Patriot Way” in Las Vegas. Although he is among the best coaches of all time, the Raiders did not choose the proper moment for him to maybe join the team.
Antonio Pierce: Was This the Right Decision?
The Raiders had the opportunity to hire numerous excellent coaches this summer, including as Mike Vrabel, Jim Harbaugh, and Bill Belichick. The Raiders didn’t even interview any of those three, despite the fact that they are more experienced than Antonio Pierce. After Pierce went 5-4 in his first season as interim head coach and received player endorsements, the squad was obviously sold on him.
Given that Pierce has only had two years of experience as an NFL coach, it is undoubtedly a hazardous decision. When it comes to motivation, he is unmatched, but it is unclear how he will handle game management. Over the past 20 years, the Raiders have attempted a great deal of different head coaches, and they have all failed. By selecting the novice Pierce, the squad is attempting something new, but maybe they needed to take a major risk before they eventually found the ideal player.
Since 2019, Austin Boyd has covered the Los Angeles Lakers and Las Vegas Raiders for Heavy.com. Originally from Los Angeles and currently residing in Las Vegas, he has been featured on Heavy with interviews with NFL players Joe Montana and Darren Waller as well as an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek at “The Shop.” Additional details on Austin Boyd
