Raiders head coaching candidates: Who'll replace Antonio Pierce?

Mark Davis faced two paths with the Las Vegas Raiders' head coach situation. Keep Antonio Pierce to project stability with the hope he'll take a leap in Year 2 while learning on the job. Or let Pierce go to start fresh yet again and hire his fifth head coach (including interim replacements) in five years.

RELATED: Does Jon Gruden deserve a second chance as an NFL head coach?

Davis rejected the possibility of more mediocrity under Pierce. On Tuesday, the Raiders owner fired the 46-year-old Pierce after only one season as Vegas' full-time head coach. Reportedly, Tom Brady, who recently purchased a minority stake in the franchise, will participate in Davis' "collaborative committee" and have a significant influence on the hire.

The next hire will be the sixth full-time head coach in Davis' 13 years as Raiders owner. And whoever is brought in will be working with general manager Tom Telesco, who reportedly will keep his job despite mixed results in his first season with an impactful 2024 NFL Draft class and a puzzling free-agent signing of quarterback Gardner Minshew.

Here are the potential head coaching candidates for Las Vegas' vacancy.

Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator

Johnson's agent will answer the phone, but it'll only be out of courtesy. The hottest head coaching candidate will be enticed by much better opportunities with a franchise QB already in place, such as Chicago (Caleb Williams) and New England (Drake Maye). The Raiders, who own the sixth overall pick, likely won't find their next QB in this year's draft. And there's probably no free-agent passer to get him excited about Vegas.

Mike Vrabel, former Tennessee Titans head coach

Brady's influence will have Raider Nation fearing another "Patriots Way" play after the disastrous tenure of Josh McDaniels. Vrabel, who played on three Super Bowl winners with Brady in New England, has a successful resume as an NFL head coach, having led the Titans to the AFC championship game and two AFC South titles and posting a 54-45 record in six seasons.

Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator

The 43-year-old Flores is another candidate with strong Patriots ties to Brady, having coached under Bill Belichick from 2008 to 2018. Flores left New England to become the Miami Dolphins' head coach, and he went 24-25 in three seasons. QB Tua Tagovailoa called Flores "a terrible person," but Flores said he's learned from that trying experience in South Florida.

Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator

If the Raiders go the veteran free-agent QB route, the 39-year-old Coen would be a smart choice. A member of the Sean McVay coaching tree, Coen worked wonders with Baker Mayfield this season in Tampa Bay and prioritizes a balanced attack.

Jon Gruden, former Las Vegas Raiders head coach

It's been well-documented how much Davis loves Gruden, who resigned in 2021 as Raiders head coach due to an email scandal. Perhaps Brady will be the one to tell him, "No, not again."

Pete Carroll, former Seattle Seahawks head coach

The 73-year-old Carroll is hardly the outside-the-box decision to excite Raider Nation, but, just by virtue of his experience, he's definitely qualified and capable enough to go toe-to-toe with Andy Reid, Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton in the AFC West.

Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame head coach

Here's your outside-the-box hire. The 38-year-old has only coached in college, but if he's surrounded by experienced coordinators, the charismatic Freeman just might be the young, stoic leader to bring the Raiders back to prominence.

MORE TOP STORIES from The Big Lead
NBA: Luka Doncic injury update
CFP: Transfer portal winners and losers
NFL: Mock draft 4.0: Who will the non-playoff teams pick?
SPORTS MEDIA: Why the Fubo/Hulu announcement is a big deal