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Pierce Invited Former NFL Coaches to Raiders HQ

Las Vegas Raiders Interim Coach Antonio Pierce welcomed a few former NFL coaches to his team's practices leading up to Thursday night's game against the Chargers.
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Las Vegas Raiders Interim Coach Antonio Pierce has taken full advantage of the power he has been given in his promoted role this season.

One of the benefits Pierce has is utilizing any resources he chooses. Ahead of the Raiders' game against the Minnesota Vikings last week, Pierce brought three former NFL coaches -- Tom Coughlin, Marvin Lewis and Adam Gase -- to the Raiders' headquarters to participate in team meetings, per a report from NFL insider Tom Pelissero.

"They are just mentors, gentlemen who have been with me since I was 22, 23 years old," Pierce told reporters on Friday. "They know me well. People that I -- when I decided to get into coaching that I always say: 'You know what? I'll take a little bit of this. I'll take a little bit of that.' 

"And their knowledge and wisdom is beyond anything I can ever try to mimic, make up, have in the building. You're talking about 40 years of experience between Coach Coughlin and Marvin Lewis. They've seen it, they've done it, they built programs and organizations from ground up. 

"They turned bad organizations into really good ones. And ones that have been winning programs. So, why not learn from them? I'd be a fool not to use my resources."

Antonio Pierce invited former NFL coaches to the Las Vegas Raiders HQ last week.

Antonio Pierce invited former NFL coaches to the Las Vegas Raiders HQ last week.

Pierce was grateful the former head coaches devoted their time to him and his club.

"It must be a lot of love," Pierce said. "I guess I wasn't such a hard head when I thought I was when I was a youngster. I appreciate them. Listen, man, those gentlemen are up there a little bit in age. [To] travel, all that kind of stuff and just put the time and effort, listen, I can't thank them enough."

Coughlin was Pierce's head coach during his time with the New York Giants. Lewis was Pierce's fellow co-defensive coordinator at Arizona State for a season. 

The Silver and Black will return to action versus their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Christmas Day in Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Don't miss it on Monday, December 25, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST.

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