The Las Vegas Raiders were one of the seven NFL teams that had a head coaching vacancy, but that number is now down to six. On Friday afternoon, word came out that the team was finalizing a deal with Antonio Pierce to become the team’s new full-time head coach, and the players on the roster that wanted him back were quick to show their happiness and excitement.

Raiders: Maxx Crosby Celebrates Hiring Of Antonio Pierce

Raiders are working to finalize a deal to hire Antonio Pierce as their head coach, per sources.

Raiders made Pierce their interim HC on Halloween night and now are closing in on making it a full-time job. Players who campaigned for Pierce soon are expected to be happy. pic.twitter.com/OAJTur9ZJ0

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 19, 2024

Pierce took over the duties of head coach on an interim basis in the middle of the 2023 season. Josh McDaniels had lost the locker room and was fired after a 3-5 start, but Pierce was able to come and quickly turn things around, as the team finished 5-4 under his lead and there was a noticeable shift towards the positive when it came to the culture and the locker room.

So when the team began its offseason and subsequent coaching search, some of the star players went to bat for the coach that helped reverse their fortunes.

Maxx Crosby had been the loudest voice. The star pass rusher has shown his support for Pierce on multiple occasions, both through the media and via his own social media accounts, and even went as far as saying that he would request a trade if the team didn’t bring him back on a full-time basis.

Wide receiver Davante Adams said that Pierce had his “vote”.

Pierce Had A Quick Rise Through The Ranks

So when the news came out that the Raiders were setting their sights on Antonio Pierce to be their next head coach, it didn’t take long for Crosby to share his joy:

Let’s Work!! ‍☠️

— MaddMaxx (@CrosbyMaxx) January 19, 2024

Said Crosby of Pierce after the season finale:

When you have the right culture, a guy like A.P. that embraces the history of the Raiders, it’s special. … A ton of legends [visit] consistently because of the amount of respect they have for him. So it makes you, as a player, want to go out there and show who you are. You know what I mean You want to be at that level one day.

Peirce was the linebacker coach for the Raiders before his promotion in 2023. He was previously a coach and coordinator at Arizona State, and got his start in the ranks at Cal Poly High School, where he served from 2014-2017.

Pierce played 9 seasons in the NFL, with both the Washington Redskins and New York Giants. He won a Super Bowl during the 2007 season.