As this season is nearing its end for the Las Vegas Raiders, the conversation surrounding Antonio Pierce as head coach continues to grow. It is unclear whether he will return for a second full season, and names are already emerging as potential replacements with one of them being former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.
The Raiders having eyes for Vrabel makes a lot of sense. He got the most out of the Titans while he was in charge there, making the playoffs three straight years from 2019-to-2021 including a trip to the AFC Championship Game. Not to mention, he is a former teammate of Raiders minority owner Tom Brady.
Vrabel is currently a consultant with the Cleveland Browns, but his name is getting a lot of traction for a number of different jobs, and the Raiders are one of them, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN:
Mike Vrabel’s name is buzzy ahead of the coaching carousel. Some believe the former Titans coach would be a candidate in Dallas if the Cowboys move on from Mike McCarthy. (Jerry Jones continues to say nice things about McCarthy, but he has yet to extend his contract, which expires after this season.) Others believe he’d be a candidate in Las Vegas if the Raiders move on from Antonio Pierce after only one season. New Raiders minority owner Tom Brady is believed to be heavily involved in the decision-making on the coach, and he and Vrabel are of course former teammates. And then there are the rumblings that Vrabel could be a top candidate to take over the job at his alma mater, Ohio State, should the Buckeyes decide to move on from Ryan Day (which could depend on how far Ohio State advances in the playoff). Could Vrabel follow Bill Belichick and his former boss Bill O’Brien from NFL coaching into the college ranks? Regardless, expect to keep hearing his name over the coming weeks. He’s a proven head coach, and those are in short supply as teams look for their solutions at that key position.
Vrabel is the most popular name as far as potential head coaches go and rightfully so. Many disagreed with the Titans firing him when they did and considering what he did in Tennessee, it is easy to believe he could have great success with the Raiders as well.
The question is whether that is fair to Pierce, who simply has not been given the tools to succeed this year with the Raiders, namely the lack of a quarterback. Some feel Pierce deserves a real shot with the right player under center, but doing so could have them lose out on a coach who could simply be better for the job.
Antonio Pierce & Raiders coaching staff given no assurances beyond this season
The uncertainty is no secret and is reportedly being felt throughout the Raiders coaching staff even beyond Antonio Pierce himself as an NFL insider recently said that the entire staff has been given no assurances for 2025.
With names like Vrabel already popping up as a potential next head coach, and any new coach assembling his own staff to bring in, it makes sense why the current Raiders staff is uncertain about their future with the franchise.
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