Raiders fire coach Josh McDaniels, GM David Ziegler

The Las Vegas Raiders fired coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler on Tuesday, according to a statement released by the team. Owner Mark Davis stated that after careful consideration, he decided it was best to part ways with McDaniels and Ziegler. Davis thanked them for their hard work and wished them well.

Sources have revealed that linebackers coach Antonio Pierce will be named the interim head coach, while assistant general manager Champ Kelly will take on the interim role with Ziegler’s departure.

When contacted by ESPN, Davis did not provide further comment.

The decision comes after the Raiders suffered a 26-14 loss to the Detroit Lions on “Monday Night Football,” bringing their season record to 3-5.

McDaniels served as the Raiders’ coach for two seasons, signing a six-year contract in January 2022. The Raiders are obligated to pay him for the remaining four years of his contract.

McDaniels leaves the Raiders with a 9-16 record and no playoff appearances, making him the third-worst performing coach in Raiders history with at least 25 games.

Following the 2021 season, McDaniels was hired to replace interim coach Rich Bisaccia, despite Bisaccia leading the team to a surprising playoff run.

During their tenure, McDaniels and Ziegler made aggressive moves, including trading draft picks for Davante Adams, signing Chandler Jones to a big free agent contract, and extending the contracts of Derek Carr, Maxx Crosby, Darren Waller, and Hunter Renfrow.

However, these moves did not translate into on-field success as McDaniels failed to build the high-powered offense Davis expected and struggled to win games.

The Raiders suffered several devastating losses, including blowing a 20-0 halftime lead in McDaniels’ home debut against Arizona, setting a franchise record. They also lost to Indianapolis in the Colts’ first game with interim coach Jeff Saturday, who had no prior experience coaching above the high school level. Furthermore, they lost to the Rams two days after Baker Mayfield joined the team.

McDaniels benched Carr late last season and eventually released him in the offseason. Unfortunately, the Raiders received no return for their former starting quarterback, who went on to sign a $150 million contract with the New Orleans Saints.

McDaniels replaced Carr with his former pupil in New England, Jimmy Garoppolo. However, the offense significantly regressed, becoming the first team since 2009 to score less than 20 points in each of their first eight games.

The last two weeks have been particularly challenging for the Raiders, with a 30-12 loss to Chicago and an embarrassing performance against undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent in a defeat against Detroit on Monday.

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.