5 replacements for Todd Bowles the Bucs need to start thinking about

3. Antonio Pierce, Interim Head Coach, Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders are coming off a dominant win over the New York Giants, led by interim head coach Antonio Pierce. Having played linebacker in the NFL for nine seasons, Pierce obviously leans on the defensive side of things. After coaching in college a bit, he got his start with the Raiders as their linebackers coach in 2022.

He's already impressed enough to take over for Josh McDaniels, proving he has some admirable qualities you'd like to see in a head coach. Again, the Bucs probably shouldn't hire a defensive-minded head caoch after firing Bowles. But, if they opted to go that route, Pierce isn't a bad option.

Having played in the league for a long time and being younger at just 45 years old, Pierce understands today's NFL and today's players. He is an easy guy to buy into and follow. Wide receiver Davante Adams sang Pierce's praises after Sunday's win:

"We've got a new leader right now, and it's somebody that we can get behind and somebody that played the game. So it makes it a lot easier for us to connect with him, because he understands the mind of a player and he's done a really good job just making sure we understand that it's not about him -- it's about this team."

He might not be an offensive guy, but Pierce sounds like the type of coach Bucs fans might like.