Now that the Las Vegas Raiders have moved on from Josh McDaniels as the team’s head coach, the question now becomes who will take over the job moving forward. Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce will get the first crack as interim coach, but another former player is hoping to get a shot as well in Andre Rison.
A five-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro, Rison played his final season in the NFL with the Raiders. With over 10,000 career receiving yards and 84 touchdowns, Rison was one of the best receivers of his generation. But since retiring, he has gotten into the coaching world and would love an opportunity with his former team.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Rison said that he would love the opportunity to coach the Raiders and that owner Mark Davis knows this as well:
The ex-NFL star says if he had things his way, that’d absolutely be the case in Las Vegas … telling TMZ Sports he “would love to” be the next head coach of the Raiders.
“[Mark Davis] knows that,” the former Raiders wideout said. “And, I think the whole world knows it as well.”
Rison would continue on, adding that he believes it would be a chance to show the world what he’s made of as a coach:
“It would be a great opportunity,” Rison said, “a great chance to not only show the world, but show myself the dedication I have given in the coaching game.”
Rison does have some coaching experience at the high school level as both a head coach at his alma mater Flint Northwestern, as well as an offensive coordinator at Skyline High School in Ann Arbor. Additionally, he also coaches and trains receivers at the Andre Rison Football Academy.
The chances of Rison taking over as Raiders head coach with such little experience and only at the high school level would be pretty slim, but it is also possible that Davis could hire him as an assistant coach of some kind, as the owner has done so with former Raiders in the past. Pierce is obviously getting the first shot, but regardless of how this season turns out, NFL rules dictate that the Raiders must still have a full coaching search this offseason.
Rison also spoke about the possibility of coaching at his collegiate alma mater Michigan State so that could be a route he looks to go as well.