Raiders stacking former head coaches around Antonio Pierce
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders made the move most fans were hoping for a few weeks ago, naming Antonio Pierce as the full-time head coach. Pierce won over the fan base due to the Raiders strong finish to the season, as they played with a purpose down the stretch, even after being eliminated from playoff contention.
After Pierce was hired, Mark Davis went to work on a new general manager, landing Tom Telesco from the Los Angeles Chargers. Once hired, Telesco was tasked with filling out the coaching staff around Pierce, who will be a full-time head coach for the first time in 2024.
Telesco has been busy getting to work on his first assignment, and it appears his plan is to load up the Raiders coaching staff with former head coaches. He has already agreed to a deal with Marvin Lewis as the team's assistant head coach, while Hue Jackson could arrive with a spot on the offensive coaching staff.
Those two men have strong ties to Pierce and the Raiders, and it appears another former head coach will be heading to the desert as the team's offensive coordinator.
Raiders to hire Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Thursday that the Raiders are to hire Kliff Kingsbury to be the new offensive coordinator in Las Vegas. The former head coach for the Arizona Cardinals spent last season on the coaching staff at USC, where he got to work with potential No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.
Kingsbury is widely know for his innovative coaching style on the offensive side of the ball, and while he failed as a head coach, there is no denying his talent to put an exciting offense on the field. Las Vegas is clearing stacking the coaching staff with guys who will not only succeed in their roles, but also help out Pierce in Year 1 at the helm.
When you look at the current staff, which includes the aforementioned men, as well as defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, this could be the most talent that has been put together in a very long time for the Raiders.