The Raiders have named linebackers coach Antonio Pierce as interim head coach after the franchise fired Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler early Wednesday morning.
Pierce, who is in his second season with Las Vegas, will make his debut as head coach against the Giants on Sunday, the team that he won Super Bowl XLII with as a starting linebacker in 2007.
Pierce made the jump to the NFL on McDaniels’s staff last season after spending five years working in various roles under Herm Edwards at Arizona State. With the Sun Devils, Pierce worked as a linebackers coach, and later as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator.
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Between the two roles at Arizona State and Las Vegas, Pierce boasts seven years of coaching experience to go along with his nine years as a player in the NFL.
The Raiders plan to begin a comprehensive search for a new coach following season’s end.
Las Vegas is 3–5 on the season, and hosts New York on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.
