How Antonio Pierce’s team culture led to permanent Raiders coach job

Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz explains why the decision to make Pierce the permanent head coach shows the Raiders commitment to the present.

Video Transcript

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JASON FITZ: Antonio Pierce can now remove the word interim from his title as head coach of my beloved Las Vegas Raiders. This move didn't shock me or most people that have watched the team. But it's all about the culture he created.

He took over a team that was closer to having the first pick in the draft than being a playoff contender. And by the end of the year, they were just on the outside looking in. And look who they beat along the way.

Antonio Pierce had a winning record as head coach, with wins over division opponents that mattered. They got the win over Denver. They won at Arrowhead. They dismantled the Chargers in such convincing fashion that the Chargers made a head coaching change of their own. Those are all statements.

And maybe the biggest statement is hearing players like Maxx Crosby make it clear that without Antonio Pierce, they would reexamine their future with the franchise. For a franchise that already watched Khalil Mack get traded in his prime, there's no way Mark Davis was going to allow that to happen again with Maxx Crosby. The players have spoken.

And Mark Davis has told you he's not worried about the future, he's worried about the right now. With the star players they have and the coach they have, he believes they can be competitive in the playoff hunt today. This is not a rebuild. This is a reimagining of the Raiders' culture. And you can see that from Mark Davis's decision today.