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HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders have removed the interim tag from Antonio Pierce’s title and made him the organization’s full-time coach.

Pierce, 45, was promoted from linebackers coach in the wake of the Halloween night firing of Josh McDaniels. He reinvigorated a then-dour Raiders locker room with post-victory cigar celebrations, and his embracing of the team’s culture garnered support from players and alumni alike. Las Vegas went 5-4 to end the season.

His players-first mentality comes from playing linebacker in the NFL for nine seasons with Washington (2001-2004) and the New York Giants (2005-2009), earning Pro Bowl honors in 2006. He was also a key member of the Giants team that beat the then-undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

Still, after finishing 8-9, the Raiders have two winning records and two playoff appearances — after the 2016 and 2021 seasons – since appearing in Super Bowl XXXVII in January 2003.

Pierce is the seventh coach (regular and interim) Raiders owner Mark Davis has hired since assuming control of the franchise upon his father Al Davis’ passing in 2011, along with Dennis Allen, Tony Sparano, Jack Del Rio, Jon Gruden, Rich Bisaccia and McDaniels.

Taking a closer look, Raiders reporter Paul Gutierrez answers four big questions about the hiring of Pierce, including what comes next. National reporter Jeremy Fowler dishes on what he’s hearing about the hire, and draft analyst Matt Miller spins it forward to the draft. Finally, front office analyst Mike Tannenbaum grades the hire.

Why did the Raiders decide to stick with Pierce instead of chasing a bigger outside name?

Gutierrez: Davis has gone down the rock star coach road before with the likes of Gruden and McDaniels. Neither went especially well, for differing reasons.

Pierce understands the mystique, culture and heritage of the Raiders, having grown up in Compton, California, a fan of the Silver and Black when the team played in the nearby Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the 1980s and early ’90s. He played that card well, considering how important being a Raider is to Davis.

Pierce and interim general manager Champ Kelly presented a masterclass as such, inviting so many Hall of Fame Raiders players into the postgame locker room to help the current class celebrate the season-ending win over the Broncos — from Marcus Allen, Mike Haynes and Charles Woodson to Richard Seymour, Jim Otto and Ted Hendricks, to two-time Super Bowl champ Jim Plunkett, with Gold Jackets Tom Flores and Fred Biletnikoff looking on approvingly from the luxury suites.

Then again, as Pierce himself said, he hoped he had “earned” the gig, rather that “deserved” it. Semantics? Perhaps, but it’s true. Pierce changed the culture and the vibe and won games. Going 5-4 and missing the playoffs might not seem like that big a deal, but Pierce had the Raiders in every game — even the one they lost by two TDs to the Kansas City Chiefs, they led, 14-0 — and they had feel-good wins against the New York Giants (30-6), Los Angeles Chargers (63-21), Chiefs (20-14) and Denver Broncos (27-14) while going 3-1 against the AFC West.

And the defense, for the first time in eons, was the Raiders’ calling card. Talk about respecting and honoring Silver and Blackdom’s mystique, culture and heritage.