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Antonio Pierce has done a good job getting the Raiders ready to play during his time as the interim head coach. Even though they couldn't get to the playoffs, there's little question about their effort, even when the season had ended. And now, the question begins about whether he'll be retained.
His quest for becoming the official head coach got a major supporter on Wednesday. Former NFL defensive end J. J. Watt, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, expressed during his appearance at The Pat McAfee Show that Antonio Pierce is the perfect head coach for the Raiders and that there should be no doubt about this decision:
"Raiders need to hire Antonio Pierce by the way, I don't know why there's even any question. Antonio Pierce should absolutely be the coach down there. What is there to contemplate? Who would be mad if he was a coach? Any fans? No. Any players? No. Media? No. The players are fully bought in and vocally supportive.
"I don't really know what the downside to keeping him would be, especially when you've tried a few different coaches over the last couple years, and none of them worked out. He is like the embodiment of what they want to be as an organization who they are. It's such a perfect fit. Give that man the keys."
Antonio Pierce's record with the Raiders
As the interim head coach, the former linebacker has amassed five wins and four losses, which took the Raiders to an 8-9 overall record after a 3-5 start with Josh McDaniels calling the plays.
Pierce is a former NFL linebacker who most notably won Super Bowl XLII with the New York Giants in the biggest-ever upset over the then-undefeated New England Patriots. He also had a four-year stint with the Washington Commanders during his playing career.
The most notable moment from Pierce's tenure as the head coach came in Week 15, when the Raiders scored 63 points, which represented a franchise record, over the Los Angeles Chargers on primetime. The day after, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley was fired from the job.
