The 2023 NFL season now has its first major coaching move.
Following a 3-5 start, the Las Vegas Raiders announced early Wednesday morning that the team has parted ways with head coach Josh McDaniels, and general manager David Ziegler. The Raiders are coming off a pair of losses, first a 30-12 loss to the Chicago Bears, who were starting undrafted free agent Tyson Bagent at quarterback, and then a 26-14 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football.
During the loss to the Lions, wide receiver was visibly frustrated on the sideline, while being held to just one catch on seven targets. Adams was seen slamming his helmet to the turf after he and Jimmy Garoppolo failed to connect on a throw late in the game that could have gone for a big play:
In a brief statement, owner Mark Davis announced the move.
“After much thought about what the Raiders need to move forward, I have decided to part ways with Josh and Dave. I want to thank them both for their hard work and wish them and their families nothing but the best,” said owner Mark Davis.
McDaniels finishes his Raiders tenure with a 9-16 record, after going 6-11 with Las Vegas a season ago. Ziegler was the general manager for both of those seasons, and his most notable decision during that time was likely the move to sign Garoppolo, passing on quarterback options in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The team followed Wednesday’s announcement by naming Champ Kelly as the interim general manager, and linebackers coach Antonio Pierce as the interim head coach.
Kelly began his NFL career in 2007 with the Denver Broncos as a scout, working his way up to become the team’s Assistant Director of Pro Personnel. He then joined the Chicago Bears in 2015 as their Director of Pro Scouting, later earning a promotion to become the team’s Assistant Director of Player Personnel.
Kelly has interviewed before for GM jobs, most notably with the New York Jets in 2019, the Atlanta Falcons in 2020, and the Broncos during the 2021 offseason. He was hired by the Raiders in February of 2022 as the team’s Assistant General Manager.
As for Pierce, he played nine seasons in the NFL as a linebacker, first with Washington and then with the New York Giants. He won a Super Bowl with the Giants during the 2007 season, He began his coaching career in the high school ranks, starting at Long Beach Poly High School as a head coach in 2014. He then made the move to the collegiate level, starting as a linebackers coach at Arizona State. Pierce was promoted to associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator in 2020, and became the defensive coordinator for the 2021 campaign.
He joined the Raiders’ staff in 2022 as the team’s linebackers coach.
