Months ago, there was a lot of complaining about then-Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, and midway through last season, the team fired him.
He was replaced by Antonio Pierce, a former linebacker who had won a Super Bowl championship with the New York Giants in 2007 and had served as Las Vegas’ linebackers coach since the 2022 season.
Players instantly took a liking to Pierce, and new general manager Tom Telesco said on NFL Network that Pierce has “a special ability to relate to people and lead people.”
While tactical skills are integral to one’s success as a head coach, leadership skills could be even more important, especially for a first-time head coach who will take some time to grow into his best self.
Coaches need to get their players to buy into their plans and overall philosophy, and that is apparently what Pierce has done so far.
