Thanks to a shocking, late-night shakeup, the Giants will be playing against a familiar face on Sunday when they take on Las Vegas.
The Raiders announced in the middle of the night that both head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler had been relieved of their duties. To replace McDaniels, former Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce has been named as Vegas’ interim head coach.
The 45-year-old Pierce was in his second season as the Raiders linebackers coach, but now he’ll take over head coaching duties for the team’s remaining nine games. This marks Pierce's first stint as an NFL head coach.
During his playing days, Pierce was a steady presence in the middle of the Giants’ defense from 2005 to 2009. Earning his only career Pro Bowl appearance in 2006, Pierce was also a key part of the Giants’ championship team in 2007. Pierce tied for a team best with 11 tackles in the 17-14 Super Bowl XLII win over the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
McDaniels is out in Vegas after just 25 games as the team's head coach, posting a 9-16 record. With this dismissal, McDaniels has now been fired during his second season in both of his head coaching stops -- in Vegas and Denver.
