“Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelly: Anticipated Choices for Head Coach and General Manager Roles with the Las Vegas Raiders”
It seems that the Las Vegas Raiders have made a decision regarding their new head coach and general manager.
This week, the Raiders conducted interviews with Kris Richard and Leslie Frazier for the open head coach position, fulfilling the Rooney Rule requirement by considering two external minority candidates. However, many perceive these interviews as a procedural step, as there is a prevailing belief that Mark Davis has already chosen to hire Antonio Pierce.
Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the Raiders are anticipated to announce Antonio Pierce as their new head coach and Champ Kelly as their general manager in the near future.
The @Raiders have now satisfied the NFL's guidelines for a coaching search. They can announce a permanent head coach at any time. (Looking more and more like it will be Antonio Pierce with Champ Kelly as the GM)
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) January 17, 2024
The Raiders also met the Rooney Rule obligations by conducting interviews with external candidates for the general manager position. However, it appears that neither the head coach nor the general manager role was genuinely available.
There was a significant indication this week suggesting that Pierce and Kelly are set to stay. Raiders players have expressed a strong desire for Pierce to continue as the head coach, and reports suggest that one of the team’s prominent stars has issued a trade demand as a potential consequence if this doesn’t materialize.
