Antonio Pierce returns to Arizona after 'very sour' ending to UA career

Returning to Tucson on behalf of the Arizona Wildcats was a surreal experience for Antonio Pierce.

After a 45-minute keynote presentation in Arizona’s team meeting room to conclude the first day of the UA coaches clinic at Lowell-Stevens Football Facility on Friday, Pierce trekked up to Bear Down Kitchen and broke bread with nearly 230 high school and youth football coaches in attendance.

Following a few handshakes and pictures with local coaches, Pierce walked over to a concourse on the north side of Arizona Stadium and absorbed the significance of stepping foot inside Arizona Stadium again.

Pierce’s relationship with the UA football program has been a rocky one over the years. Pierce signed with Arizona in 1998 after two years at Mount San Antonio College (California) and was a part of the UA team that went 12-1 and won the Holiday Bowl, which is the winningest season in program history. In 2000, Pierce met current Arizona head coach Brent Brennan, who was a graduate assistant under head coach Dick Tomey.

Brennan was “very encouraging and you could always see his enthusiasm,” Pierce said.

“I couldn’t say I knew he was going to be a head coach, but I knew he had a bright future,” Pierce said. “You could see the passion and the love for it. It’s good to have someone here who was here when the program was ran the right way.”

After his final season in 2000, Tomey was replaced by head coach John Mackovic, who prevented past UA players from using the practice field to train for the NFL. That’s when Pierce detached himself from the UA football program.

Pierce went undrafted, but had a productive career with the Washington Redskins, where he was teammates with current UA defensive line coach Joe Salave’a, and the New York Giants. Pierce, a Pro Bowler in 2006, and the Giants won the Super Bowl and spoiled the New England Patriots’ undefeated record in 2007.

In his post-playing career, Pierce dove into the coaching realm and led Long Beach Polytechnic High School from 2014-17 — 2015 was the last time Pierce visited the UA as a former player. Pierce coached several FBS and NFL players, including Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jack Jones.

From 2018-21, Pierce was an assistant at Arizona State under head coach Herm Edwards. Pierce first started as a linebackers coach and worked with defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales, who’s now the defensive play-caller at the UA. Gonzales left to become the head coach at New Mexico, elevating Pierce to defensive coordinator and associate head coach.

Pierce, who went 4-0 against Arizona in the Territorial Cup, resigned after an NCAA investigation revealed he and other ASU staffers committed multiple recruiting violations. After Pierce’s resignation at ASU, he received an eight-year show-cause penalty by the NCAA. If an NCAA program hires Pierce before 2032, he’ll have to serve a one-year suspension.

Pierce became the linebackers coach for the Raiders in 2022 and 2023 and was promoted to interim head coach midway through the ’23 season, before he was officially named the 23rd head coach in franchise history. The Raiders went 4-13 last season, and Pierce was fired and replaced by Pete Carroll.

“He’s a younger dude, so his coaching career isn’t done, but it’s been awesome to see his process and what he’s been able to do in a short amount of time that he’s been coaching,” Brennan said of Pierce to the room of coaches.

Pierce’s presentation on Friday, which was preceded by a Tupac playlist as the 200-plus coaches congregated in the UA meeting room, included stories from his playing and coaching careers, advice for coaches working with youth and a breakdown of the “Raider Way” mantra (team first, respect, pride, passion and compete) and his offseason pillars (trust, accountability, process and communication).

Pierce spoke to the Star about his return to Tucson and reconnecting with the UA football program after being estranged for several years. Here’s what he discussed:

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How does it feel to be here on the behalf of Arizona again?

A: “It feels like I’m 19 again walking through the stadium and the building for the first time, when the offices were back at McKale (Center). It just felt right. I wanted to be a part of the tradition of being a tough, physical defense. Dick Tomey did a hell of a job of making it feel like family. He made you feel a part of the family. Those teams I played for, I felt it from the jump. Plus, at that time we had a lot of California players that I grew up either playing with or knew here. It’s really cool to be back. To come back and see some guys I played with in the (NFL) or played with here at the U of A or coached against, it’s a really cool experience.”

As an ex-Wildcat, how was it dealing with guff from Arizona fans and people connected with the UA during your ASU tenure?

A: “It was tough because the first year we played down here (in 2018), it was my first time here and I’m wearing different colors and I’m the opponent — and that was the last time I saw Coach Tomey, that felt weird. It just didn’t feel right. But you have a job to do. It’s no different than anywhere else, you do your job. But that was such a unique experience because you put it all to the side for that game. I put a mask on and played a part, because I’m employed by another school. But it was unique. It was never easy. Obviously we dominated that series when I was there. You just wish what you’re seeing now (at Arizona), the juice, the energy and the excitement with the program. You wish they had it at that time.”

The last time you were here was for ASU’s 70-7 win over Arizona during the pandemic-influenced season in 2020. How do you reflect on that historically nightmarish night for Arizona?

A: “I was trying to get to 100. I told Herm to keep rolling. I wanted to be the head coach (at Arizona). I thought there would be an opportunity here. You would hear about the stuff from afar with the head coach at the time in (Kevin) Sumlin. I felt like I was an up-and-coming coach and I was moving up in the ranks at ASU. So there was no pity on that game. I had no mercy for that one, to be honest. You’re not trying to be disrespectful, but at the end of the day, we’re just competing. When you’re competing, you’re just competing until that clock hits zeros. That’s what the guys did and that’s how we coached it.”

Between your time at ASU and the Raiders, what have you learned about the coaching profession?

A: “Patience. You have so much knowledge and you have so much that you want to give. Sometimes it’s OK to spoon-feed people and don’t give them too much at one time. You’re always fighting the clock because it’s production-based and it’s based off of wins, glitz and glamor. You want to put everything out there, but at the end of the day, how many people do I affect everywhere I go? From coaching at Long Beach Poly to the Giants to ASU to the Raiders, I look at my impact with the players and the staff and I bring everybody else along with me because I’ve been fortunate enough to play in the league and have a pretty successful career coaching. I want other people to have that success and feel the fruits of their labor. The hours we put in as a coach, not all of us get the reward financially or get a chance to move up.”

Is it fair to say the ending to your UA career was sour?

A: “Very sour. It didn’t end well. We started off the season very strong and were 5-1, then we lost five in a row and Dick Tomey got fired. That was hard, because it’s never just on a coach. We didn’t play well enough as players and the coaches didn’t coach well enough; it was everybody. To see that happen to him, that left a very bad taste in my mouth. To be honest, the way our senior class was treated by the new head coach, that’s where the disconnect really happened. My career is on the line. At that time, there’s not a lot of gyms to work out at. I either worked out at McKale in the equipment and strength room or I come out here (in the stadium) to run the stairs so I can put up a performance at Pro Day. I feel like we were cheated. To each their own. Over time, I was able to move past that and play for a long time.”

Throughout your NFL-playing career, you always referenced Mt. San Antonio College instead of Arizona in your Sunday Night Football player intro. Is that because of the ending to your UA career?

A: “I felt like Mt. SAC was proud of me. I never felt like U of A was proud of me at that time when I left here. The way they send you out is how they feel about you, right? Maybe it’s because our coach at the time got fired and moved on, but when the new staff came in, the alumni became outsiders. So if I’m an outsider, why would I say the name of the school on Sunday Night Football, the biggest stage? No one ever reached out (from the UA). I don’t need to be pat on the ass or get my ass kissed by anybody. ‘Hey, it didn’t go as well as it should’ve near the end. We’re sorry and let’s move on.’ It was nothing. I was like, ‘Alright, well, this is how I feel about it.’”

From afar, what has it been like monitoring the program’s direction under Brennan?

A: “I’m really excited about the staff. Danny Gonzales and I coached at ASU, so I know what he can do defensively. Me and Joe played together. Me and Bobby (Wade) played together. I think this staff has the energy and the passion. Obviously it comes down to players and they gotta do a great job of bringing those guys in and the NIL collective has to help bringing in these players, because you’re in that world now. (Brennan’s) energy, his excitement, his passion, you love to see that and that will come out more as they win. I love what I’ve heard and have seen from the staff. At the end of the day, the players on the field have to play.”

After so many years, how does it feel to represent your alma mater?

A: “It’s not like I didn’t want to, but it’s good to have this. It’s good to be around your peers, your former teammates, the staff and people who really embrace you, not because of who I am or what I’ve done. Before all of that, I was this 19-21-year-old trying to earn my stripes and be up there (points to Arizona Stadium Ring of Honor) with all of the other greats. That’s all I ever wanted, respect. I feel like it’s mutual now and whatever I can do to help them out, I will.”