Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is known for his personality and commitment to shouting out where he came from.
The Compton, Ca. native has constantly discussed how his upbringing in the city shaped his respect for the Raiders, with the organization playing in nearby Los Angeles from 1982-1994.
Raiders gear was worn all throughout Compton, being synonymous with N.W.A., and was a fashion statement in the ’90s, with the team being known as “the bad boys of the NFL” by rapper, actor, and former N.W.A. member Ice Cube.
One former NFL executive, who served as the senior personnel executive of the Oakland Raiders from 1998-2006, isn’t buying that Pierce understands what it means to be a Raider.
Former NFL GM Sounds Off on Antonio Pierce
Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi discussed his gripe with Pierce on The GM Shuffle Podcast.
Wild: Former #NFL GM Michael Lombardi on #Raiders HC Antonio Pierce:
“He thinks he knows the Raider Way because he’s from Compton. It’s a joke. This guy is driving me crazy. Can he just shut up? Why won’t somebody in the Raiders tell him to shut up?”
(via The GM Shuffle… pic.twitter.com/IjWih2WItP
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 28, 2024
“He thinks he knows the Raider Way because he’s from Compton,” Lombardi said on the podcast. “It’s a joke. This guy is driving me crazy. Can he just shut up? Why won’t somebody in the Raiders tell him to shut up?”
Lombardi has spent time around the league in various roles, beginning his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers as a scout in 1984. Since then, he’s spent time with the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, the aforementioned Raiders, and the New England Patriots.
The former executive has three Super Bowl rings — one with the 49ers (as a scout) and two with the Patriots (assistant to the coaching staff).
This past Halloween, Pierce was named as the Raiders’ interim head coach following the firing of Josh McDaniels. From that point, Pierce led the Raiders to a 5-4 record and a second-place finish in the AFC West. The team only narrowly missed the playoffs in a 23-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on New Year’s Eve.
The 45-year-old Pierce began his coaching career 10 years prior as the head coach of Long Beach Poly (CA) from 2014-2017. He went on to participate in various roles at Arizona State, serving as the linebackers coach, associate head coach, recruiting coordinator, and defensive coordinator.
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Pierce resigned amid an NCAA recruiting violation investigation before the 2022 season. He was then hired as the Raiders’ linebackers coach that year before rising to his current position.
Pierce retained the head coaching position due to the support of the players, defensive success, and lack of penalties.
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