Antonio Pierce wasted no time making first winning move as Raiders head coach

Ever since Antonio Pierce took over as Las Vegas Raiders head coach, there's been a change in the air around the team. His predecessor, Josh McDaniels, clearly didn't have the best grip of the locker room, with his Draconian approach mirroring his previous failures with the Raiders AFC West rivals, the Denver Broncos. Pierce, meanwhile, has been the polar opposite, refreshingly putting the players first and building a culture of real accountability that includes himself.

It's not just about the personal dynamics improving in Las Vegas, though. Pierce is already helping the Raiders take tangible steps to competing again, and the organization's potential next hire to the coaching staff exemplifies a renewed approach to excellence.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports the Raiders are expected to add former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis to Pierce's coaching staff, with the head coach currently consulting on decsions with former New York Giants Super Bowl-winning coach Tom Coughlin. Pierce was a star linebacker for the Giants during that era, of course.

The Raiders are rebuilding a winning culture

Lewis and Pierce clearly have a close working relationship and familiarity, which appears to be a common theme for the new Raiders coach. He has built and maintained relationships with key figures around the NFL in coaching, and he is leveraging those relationships to help the Raiders compete.

The Raiders goal should be to make the playoffs next season. It may seem like an ambitious goal, given their struggles last season, but they weren't too far away at 8-9. Las Vegas still have to fully figure out their quarterback situation, but with hires like Lewis filling out Pierce's coaching staff, they can have the kind of leadership and expertise to help uplift individual players and create a collective stronger than the individual parts.

Building the right leadership team is vital for the Raiders. Pierce is a new head coach, but he already looks and sounds like a real leader for the franchise; juxtapose that to McDaniels' tiresome routine. Lewis had a long run of playoff appearances in Cincinnati, perhaps undermined by underwhelming quarterback play. He is a strong hire to a Raiders franchise ready to return to winning ways.