Las Vegas Raiders CB Coach Ricky Manning's Career Prepared Him for Coaching

The Las Vegas Raiders have many former players as coaches, including CB Coach Ricky Manning. They rely on those coaches to connect with the players differently than the last Raiders' coaching regime.

Las Vegas Raiders CB Coach Ricky Manning From OTAs | Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

After some of the Las Vegas Raiders’ last coaching regime failed to connect successfully with the players on the roster, the Raiders promoted Coach Antonio Pierce as the team’s leader halfway through last season. After the Raiders made Pierce their head coach this offseason, Coach Pierce filled out his coaching staff with many former players, including former defensive back Ricky Manning Jr., who spent six seasons in the National Football League as a defensive back for three different teams. He registered over 260 tackles in the league and 14 interceptions. 

After years of playing in the NFL and multiple years of coaching football on various levels before joining the Raiders as the cornerbacks coach, Manning Jr. says he finally realized that his destiny was much bigger than his highest career moment of registering three interceptions in the NFC Championship to help send his team to the Super Bowl. 

“There was so long ago. It was a long time ago, but we have fun, and like I said, I'm surrounded by a great, great coaching staff, and they bring it up, and it’ll be some fun time where we show different guys taking away the ball," Manning Jr. said. "It's crazy because, as a player, I thought that that's what I was destined for, picking off Donovan McNabb three times in the NFC championship. That was my destiny.”

Manning Jr. says his perspective of the most significant moment of his career has changed. He feels that his career’s most notable moment wasn’t his true destiny but a small part of the larger plan for his life. He feels that moment prepared him for the chance to enter the coaching world successfully and connect with today’s players, who identify more with coaches who have professional playing experience. 

“But really what it was for was this moment right now, for me to have to wait to be able to talk about big-time situations and big games and showing up big," Manning Jr. said. "And not just talking it, but living it, helps with that message. So, this is what it’s for, this intended purpose right now, me as a coach, giving back to the game that gave so much to me.”

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