Raiders Fire Josh McDaniels, Stephen A. Smith Predicts Coach's Next Move

The Las Vegas Raiders have effectively cleaned house. Following a 26-14 loss to Detroit, the team fired head coach Josh McDaniels, GM Dave Ziegler, and offensive coordinator Mike Lombardi. Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce will serve as interim head coach, while quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree will be promoted to offensive coordinator. Pierce won a Super Bowl as player and has been coached at various levels of the game since 2014.

Reacting to the news on First Take, Stephen A. Smith gave a very astute prediction of where McDaniels is likely headed next. "Bill O'Brien, I hope you enjoy your one year with the Patriots. Because move aside, Josh McDaniels is going to come back to the one place where he's found success," Smith said. McDaniels has spent a combined 16 years working with the Patriots organization, including multiple stints as a Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator.

Raiders Look To Turn Over A New Leaf

At 3-5 on the season, the Raiders decided that changes needed to be made. The front office will likely decide to hire a separate head coach and offensive coordinator in the offseason, instead of the dual-responsibility role as it existed under McDaniels. There will also be serious questions to be made about team structure, such as whether to draft a QB of the future or stick with Jimmy G. The Raiders are expected to give rookie Aidan O'Connell another chance under center on Sunday against the Giants.

However, the current situation is just another punchline for the laughingstock that is the Raiders. On Sunday, Pierce will become the 12th person in the latest 20 years to coach a game for the Raiders. That sets the Raiders as the team with the highest coaching turnover in the NFL in that span. It's one more than the Browns, who are widely seen as the epitome of failure over that timespan. Since moving to Vegas in 2020, the team has only had one winning season. Last year, the Raiders went 6-11.

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