The Raiders had let Antonio Pierce speak with the media Monday, only to fire him a day later. The team will now shift focus to replacing another coach. Two big names are on the radar. The Raiders sent out interview requests for Lions OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn, SI.com’s Albert Breer reports. Another candidate is also likely to receive an interview slip.
In addition to retaining GM Tom Telesco, the Raiders are set to give Tom Brady a clear voice in this search. That will be an interesting dynamic to monitor, and it also may shape where this search will go. Despite the team firing Josh McDaniels midway through the 2023 season, the Raiders are believed to be interested in another Bill Belichick disciple. The team is expected to pursue Brian Flores, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets.
Counting Rich Bisaccia, Mark Davis has now moved on from four HCs since October 2021. Pierce did receive a longer runway than the Patriots gave Jerod Mayo, as he was Las Vegas’ interim HC for nine games in 2023. But his inexperience showed. It should be expected the Raiders will target a seasoned candidate this time, though without a quarterback answer (and without a top-five pick to acquire one) and after heavy staff turnover this decade, questions loom about this job.
Johnson, 38, having been quite selective in the past will make this an interesting sales pitch on the Raiders’ part; the high-end candidate is again on track to be choosey. Thus far, Johnson has only been tied to taking interviews with the Bears and Patriots. Will the Raiders have a chance at a meeting?
Glenn, 52, has not been as picky in terms of meetings. Based on Glenn’s docket thus far, a Raiders meeting should be anticipated. Glenn has agreed to meet with four other teams (the Bears, Jaguars, Jets and Saints) this week. The Lions having booked a No. 1 seed means Glenn and Johnson can meet with HC-needy clubs virtually this week, whereas coaches on teams in wild-card matchups must wait until next week for virtual interviews to begin. The Raiders will likely attempt to schedule Glenn and Johnson meetings for this early window.
The Lions have ridden Johnson’s innovative offense to a 15-2 record, building on the climb they made in 2023. Glenn’s unit has stepped up this season. Despite losing Aidan Hutchinson in October, the Lions rank seventh in scoring defense. A fixture on recent HC carousels, Glenn now has real momentum and looks to have his best shot to date at landing a head…