New England Patriots Exes Josh McDaniels, Dave Ziegler Fired By Las Vegas Raiders
Just when you thought the New England Patriots were enduring a rough season, two former staff members in Foxboro now find themselves in the unemployment line as the Las Vegas Raiders fired coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, the team announced early Wednesday morning.
"After much thought about what the Raiders need to move forward, I have decided to part ways with Josh and Dave," team owner Mark Davis said in a statement. "I want to thank them both for their hard work and wish them and their families nothing but the best."
Both men were in their second year on the job, with both also coming from the Patriots organization. McDaniels is the more famous former Patriot, as he was the team's offensive coordinator for the better part of 15 years before heading out west. Meanwhile, Ziegler had been in New England's front office since 2013 and eventually worked his way up to being the team's director of player personnel in 2021.
McDaniels shakes hands with Patriots coach Bill Belichick after a game.
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Las Vegas' decision to move on from McDaniels and Ziegler caps off a tumultuous couple of days for the franchise. On Monday night, the Raiders were thoroughly outmatched in a 26-14 loss to the Detroit Lions, a game in which they had jus 157 yards of total offense. Some players, most notably star receiver Davante Adams, were visibly frustrated with the team's performance after the game.
After that, the Raiders declined to make any moves prior to Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. Rumors swirled over Adams, fellow receiver Hunter Renfrow and running back Josh Jacobs, among others, potentially being on the move, but nothing ever materialized.
This now marks McDaniels' second head coaching tenure that lasted less than two seasons. He also coached the Denver Broncos in 2009 and 2010, but was fired in December of the latter year. The Raiders signed McDaniels to a six-year contract last year, which means they are now obligated to pay him the remaining four-plus years on that deal.
Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce will take over as interim head coach, while assistant GM Champ Kelly will serve as interim GM. The Raiders promised that they would conduct "comprehensive searches" for both positions after the season.
McDaniels and Ziegler finish their Raiders tenure with a record of 9-16.
