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Antonio Pierce reveals next step since Raiders firing

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Derek Hegna | Last updated Feb 17, 2025 2:06 PM ET

Most NFL teams have filled out their coaching staffs already, but Antonio Pierce is strangely still without a job heading into the 2025 season.

Pierce’s lone season as permanent head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders was rocky, posting a 4-13 record along with a ten-game losing streak. There was talk about the team possibly keeping him after Pierce survived Black Monday, only for them to reverse course and fire him the following day. With two more years left on his contract at the time of his firing, Pierce will be paid by the Raiders in 2025 despite not being part of the organization.

Curiosity lead to speculation about the next destination for Pierce, and it appears as though the mystery has been solved.

Pierce is returning to the University of Arizona in a speaking role for 2025.

According to both Pierce and the University of Arizona on Instagram, the former head coach will serve as the keynote speaker at the school’s coaching clinic for Tucson-area high schools.

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While Pierce is free to return to his alma mater, current NCAA rules dictate that Pierce is not allowed to do so in a coaching capacity.

In October, Pierce was hit with a show-cause order for recruiting violations during his time as an assistant coach at Arizona State University. Investigations revealed that Pierce committed several recruiting violations during the COVID-19 dead period, leading to ineligible players participating in games for the Sun Devils. As a result of the penalties levied against Pierce, he is barred from serving as a coach at any NCAA program for the next eight years.

That said, Pierce clearly considers this as his first step back into the coaching world, although it remains to be seen where he will land on his feet next.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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