Antonio Pierce, the temporary head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, is working hard to establish his worth as the team’s permanent head coach for 2024 and beyond.
If so, he’s another player-turned-NFL head coach. Pierce played linebacker for the New York Giants and Washington from 2001 to 2009, during which time he won a Super Bowl.
Let’s look at the current NFL head coaches who have played in the NFL. Coaches who were just on practice squads or had very brief NFL playing careers aren’t listed:
- Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: He played from 1986–93 with Washington and San Francisco as a safety.
- Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions: He was a tight end from 1999–2009 with the Giants, Dallas, Detroit, and New Orleans.
- Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings: He was a deep backup quarterback with New England and the Jets from 2008–11, with some stops on some other team’s practice squads.
- Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars: He was a backup quarterback from 1992–2004, with stops in Miami, Green Bay, Philadelphia, and Cleveland. He was best known as being Brett Favre’s backup with the Packers in two different stints.
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- Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders: He was a linebacker with the Chicago Bears from 1984–92 and was part of the ‘85 Super Bowl champion Bears. which was considered one of the greatest defensive teams ever.
- DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans: He was a linebacker with Houston and Philadelphia from 2006–15. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year and made two Pro Bowl teams. He was an excellent player.
- Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans: He was a linebacker from 1997–2010 with Pittsburgh, New England, and Kansas City. His career was highlighted by eight seasons with the Patriots, in which he won three Super Bowl rings and was an All-Pro in 2007. Like Ryans, he was a quality player.
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