Can Raiders ride the momentum behind Antonio Pierce to success? | Zero Blitz
Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz, Charles Robinson and Frank Schwab discuss the goodwill surrounding the Raiders hiring Antonio Pierce and if Las Vegas can ride that momentum to success. Hear the full conversation on the “Zero Blitz” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
I think that one of the most exciting things you get anytime you have a new coach is an opportunity to find out the new personality of an organization.
So Antonio Pierce was an interim coach for the Raiders.
Obviously, he is now the full time coach for the Raiders and, and guys, I have no idea what to expect.
I didn't expect much when he became the interim coach last year and all of the talk about, you know, the Raider way and all of the things that it seems like cliches.
But when I talk to guys that are in that locker room, they tell you that it's not that there's a different energy.
The guys love being there every single day.
Guys want to be around his energy in a world where I think the best coaches are the ones that identify with the city in the franchise.
The guys that really know how to turn teams around are guys look in Detroit, that sort of know how to get the vibe of the city and the vibe of the organization.
It feels right now in this honeymoon period.
Like Antonio Pierce has a real opportunity to do that.
Now, there has to be adults in the room and you're still going to have to be able to strategize other coaches.
You're going to have to be a great coach.
But from what I've seen so far, what excites me this year is that it's somebody that easily identifies with what it means to be part of this organization and this franchise and sometimes you need somebody that loves it that much to help turn it around.
I don't know if it'll happen, but see, Rob, I'm excited about it because it feels like there's a different energy in the building than there has been even from the outside looking in for years.
No matter who the coach has been A P has done that.
Yeah.
And I, you brought up one name, I'll bring up another, you brought up Dan Campbell.
I also bring up Mike Tomlin.
I think there are, there are coaches that get into positions.
Um, you know, Mike Tomlin was never a coordinator right before he became the head coach of the, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And, you know, Dan Campbell, um, had had a, a flame out, right as a, as an interim with the Miami Dolphins.
And yet these were two guys who came in and they did two things.
They set a culture in the organization, they connected with the city in the locker room.
Those are the two things that I think, you know, Antonio Pierce can do here is set a culture in place, connect with the locker room, connect with the city, connect um with the fan base.
This was the right hire.
Let, let's see what Antonio Pierce has because like you said, that franchise, that fan base really got behind him.
What's the harm, what's the harm in seeing if he can keep that going?