Raiders fire Josh McDaniels, general manager David Ziegler
Las Vegas is the first team in the league to fire its head coach this season
The Las Vegas Raiders are done with Josh McDaniels and David Ziegler.
The Raiders announced late Tuesday night that they had parted ways with McDaniels, the head coach, and Ziegler, the general manager, after the franchise fell to 3-5 this season. The announcement came one day after the Raiders lost to the Detroit Lions 26-14.
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 1, 2023
"After much thought about what the Raiders need to move forward, I have decided to part ways with Josh and Dave," owner Mark Davis said in a statement. "I want to thank them both for their hard work and wish them and their families nothing but the best."
Offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi was also fired, according to Albert Breer.
The Raiders are the first team in the league to fire their head coach this season. Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce is expected to be named the team's interim coach, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Pierce, who resigned as an assistant at Arizona State amid an NCAA investigation, will lead the Raiders this week heading into their Sunday game against the New York Giants. Pierce played nine seasons in the NFL, five with the Giants that includes their Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2007.
It's unclear when Davis will conduct a coaching search or who he might bring in for the full-time job.
McDaniels was in the middle of his second season leading the Raiders, going 9-16 in Las Vegas. The Raiders hired him after his 10-year run as the New England Patriots’ offensive coordinator, where he won three Super Bowls alongside Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. The Raiders were his second stint in the league as a head coach, following a two-year run with the Denver Broncos in 2009 and 2010. He was fired in the middle of his second season with the Broncos, too.
The Raiders gave McDaniels a six-year deal when they hired him.
The Raiders also hired Ziegler when they brought in McDaniels. Ziegler worked in the Patriots' front office for much of McDaniels' time there, and was promoted to their director of player personnel before landing the job in Las Vegas. The two also worked together in Denver, and were teammates in college at John Carroll University.
The Raider are off to a slow start this season and have lost five of their past seven games dating back to last season. The Raiders managed 157 yards of offense in their loss to the Lions on Monday night while allowing Detroit to rack up just shy of 500. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo — who was hurt and missed last week's loss to the Chicago Bears — didn't complete a pass to a wide receiver in the first half, and both star wide receiver Davante Adams and All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs were left extremely frustrated in Detroit.
Those offensive struggles have been an issue all season. The Raiders are averaging 268.3 yards per game, which is better than only the Giants, and only 15.8 points per contest, which is better than only the Giants and Patriots.
So hours after the trade deadline passed, Davis opted to call it and make a change.
