HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders are working to finalize a deal to hire Antonio Pierce as their head coach, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Friday.
Raiders owner Mark Davis elevated Pierce from linebackers coach to interim coach following the Halloween night firings of coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler and Pierce, along with interim G.M.
Champ Kelly, changed the culture of the Raiders locker room overnight. Following the Raiders' season-ending 27-14 victory over the Denver Broncos, Davis told ESPN he was «really excited» about the job Pierce did in leading the team to a 5-4 finish after he took over.
Besides finishing with a winning record, the Raiders also went 3-1 in the AFC West under Pierce, including scoring a franchise-record 63 points against the Los Angeles Chargers, and beating the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium for only the second time since 2013.