The Las Vegas Raiders will have a lot to sort through during the 2025 offseason, and that includes what to do at head coach after a dismal first full season for Antonio Pierce.
Pierce was a revelation for the Raiders in 2023 after taking over as the interim head coach following the firing of Josh McDaniels. However, the wheels have come off during his first full season, with the Raiders sporting a 4-12 record currently.
Injuries and a lack of competent quarterback play have certainly played a part, so it isn't all on Pierce by any stretch. But bad decision-making has also marred Las Vegas, which Pierce and his staff have been guilty of on numerous occasions.
The Raiders head coach has also brought some unnecessary negative attention to the team, like with his "business decisions" comment that should've stayed in-house, for example.
Raiders owner Mark Davis declined to discuss Pierce's future recently, saying he will wait until after the season to evaluate the situation. But a recent report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero states that the belief is that Pierce's future with the Raiders is "in serious doubt."
"Despite the celebratory scene in the locker room following a Week 16 win over the Jaguars, the belief in league circles continues to be that Antonio Pierce's future as the Raiders' head coach is in serious doubt," Rapoport and Pelissero wrote.
Because of the uncertainty surrounding Pierce, speculation has run rampant about who the Raiders could hire to take his place, and one popular name has been ex-Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.
In an article naming ideal pairings for potential head coach vacancies, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox thinks the Raiders and Vrabel are a great match.
There are a couple of reasons for this. For one, Tom Brady is now a minority owner and is expected to have input on team-building decisions. He and Vrabel were teammates and likely have similar ideas on how to build a winning franchise.
Secondly, as Russini noted, Vrabel is an experienced coach who knows how to motivate a locker room, build a winning culture and get on-field results—Tennessee had four winning seasons and three playoff appearances in six years under him.
Brady/Patriots ties aside, Vrabel would provide the perfect change for Las Vegas, given what the franchise has experienced recently.
As Knox points out, Vrabel has a great relationship with new part-owner Tom Brady, who is expected to have a voice in what the Raiders do this offseason. Brady could very well have Vrabel at or near the top of his list.
Vrabel is the kind of experienced, no-nonsense coach who would instill a strong culture in Las Vegas, similar to how he did in Tennessee, where he won a pair of division titles and made a trip to the AFC Championship Game in 2019.
While that's all well and good, the Raiders are going to have plenty of competition for Vrabel's services, at least according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, who labeled Vrabel as the most "sought-out" coach in next year's cycle.
"I think without a doubt headed into this coaching cycle here — Mike Vrabel is hands down going to be the most sought-out coach, because we're seeing the trend once again being about a leader, a CEO that can quickly establish a culture and an identity for teams that are in need," Russini said on the "Scoop City" podcast.
That's going to make landing Vrabel a bit more difficult, but the Raiders have a big leg up on any competition for the former NFL Coach of the Year thanks to his good buddy Brady representing them.
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