Former New York Giants Super Bowl linebacker Antonio Pierce became head coach of the Vegas Raiders midway through last season and commanded them well enough to be awarded with the position permanently.
Pierce went 5-4 as the interim coach last season, after being praised by the players for how he conducted the locker room and managed the action on the field.
While his career on the field is rising, Pierce’s wife, Jocelyn Pierce, filed for bankruptcy after Antonio invested in car dealerships that defaulted on their loans, per the report. Court documents show that the Raiders head coach’s spouse cited a failed car dealership venture.
Jason Morrin, a sports law reporter for Conduct Detrimental, posted those docs on his X timeline on Tuesday.
Pierce was just hired in January and he doesn’t need any distractions as he prepares for his rookie season.
Mrs. Pierce is apparently claiming that her husband was a passive investor in a business endeavor and has no knowledge of guaranteeing to cover anyone’s debts. She also claims she didn’t have enough time to protect her assets from her husband’s debts.
Sounds like the Pierces might be actually working as a team and there is some legal maneuvering being done to avoid a hefty bill. Antonio Pierce is listed as the “guarantor of judgments equaling over $28 million.”
Lenders are seeking to satisfy the remaining judgments from marital assets between the Pierces.One being Nissan Motor Acceptance Company ($23 million) and another being Hyundai Capital America ($4.5 million). Both have attempted to garnish AP’s NFL wages as an attempt to satisfy that debt.
CBS Sports broke the situation down further:
“In the 2010s, Mr. Pierce was convinced to invest in car dealerships,” that filing read. “Despite his role as a mere passive investor with no oversight or management of the businesses’ affairs, Mr. Pierce was asked to sign various documents. Although the debtor has no direct knowledge of the events, personal guarantees were later produced bearing Mr. Pierce’s name. When several of the businesses defaulted on their loans, the lenders obtained judgments against the businesses and Mr. Pierce as a guarantor.“
Vegas Raiders Drama: Antonio Pierce Hasn’t Found His Starting Quarterback Yet
The AFC as a conference is easily the best in the NFL and the AFC West division with Kansas City, the defending Super Bowl champions, a Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers squad, is no cakewalk.
With minicamp and OTAs in the rearview, Pierce still has many challenges to handle as head coach. With the abundance of elite signal callers in the AFC, Pierce is in a daunting situation as that position is still up for grabs.
Unheralded Aiden O’Connell and journeyman Garner Minshew are competing for the starting spot. Each has gotten his fair share of reps with the first team during camp. However, neither quarterback distinguished himself on the field. There were reportedly an abundance of off-target tosses and neither had their timing clicking with the offense.
The Raiders’ late run under Pierce turned a disastrous season into a 8-9 campaign where they missed the postseason but finished tied for second in the division, creating a swell of optimism for this campaign.
After he took over for Josh McDaniel, who was a dismal 9-16 as head coach with Derek Carr playing most of the downs at signal-caller, the mood of the franchise was rejuvenated. O’Connell was getting the job done, unspectacularly, but convincingly enough to warrant a shot at the starting job this season.
Antonio Pierce Needs Total Focus This Season
Pierce is most likely on a short leash, so the pressure will be on right away. Having to deal with financial problems and legal situations isn’t what a first-year coach needs on his mind while trying to figure out how to dethrone Patrick Mahomes.
It won’t be a smooth ride, but Pierce, who worked as an assistant for both Las Vegas and the Arizona State Sun Devils following a nine-year NFL career with the Giants and Commanders, will definitely go out in style.
