Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has been hit with major sanctions from the NCAA, stemming from his time as an assistant coach at Arizona State University. The NCAA’s investigation revealed that Pierce played a central role in orchestrating a series of serious recruiting violations, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when strict restrictions were in place.
While serving as a key figure on the Arizona State coaching staff, Pierce was found to have masterminded a scheme that involved illegal recruiting activities, which included personal contact with 35 prospective athletes. The violations ranged from unauthorized facility tours to prohibited tryouts and providing entertainment for recruits. Furthermore, Pierce reportedly directed a staff assistant to engage in tampering with a player who was already enrolled at another institution, a direct violation of NCAA regulations. In another clear breach, the assistant traveled out of state to meet with recruits during a mandated recruiting “dead period.”
The NCAA’s report, which resulted in an eight-year show-cause order for Pierce, highlighted his significant role in leading the violations.
According to the findings, Pierce went to great lengths to ensure that prospects were given special treatment, including no-cost accommodations, meals, and exclusive tours of Arizona State’s football facilities. He also orchestrated outings to local bowling alleys, arcades, and other entertainment venues as part of his recruiting pitch.
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One particularly damning incident involved Pierce directing staff members to drive a van to a strip club, despite objections from one female staffer who voiced her discomfort with the plan. She was reportedly told to “just get in the van and drive” and ultimately served as the designated driver for Pierce, another assistant, and the parents of a recruit who attended the club that evening.
The investigation further revealed that Pierce was not overly concerned about potential repercussions from the NCAA, allegedly stating that his personal wealth insulated him from any significant consequences. However, financial documents later tied Pierce to his wife’s bankruptcy case, in which his investments in car dealerships that defaulted on $28 million in loans came to light.
The NCAA panel emphasized Pierce’s blatant disregard for the rules, stating in the report: “Pierce knowingly and blatantly disregarded fundamental dead period legislation to orchestrate the majority of violations in this case.” The report went on to highlight that Pierce’s motivations appeared rooted in his belief that he needed to keep an aggressive recruiting approach to compete with other institutions, which he perceived to be bending or outright ignoring the rules during the pandemic’s dead period.
Pierce’s influence within the Arizona State football program was substantial. According to the investigation, he had primary control over the team’s roster and the recruiting activities of the coaching staff. The NCAA found that he used his authority to pressure other staff members into participating in the violations, often using fear tactics to threaten their job security if they did not comply with his directives.
The NCAA has handed Pierce an eight-year show-cause order, which will remain in effect until October 2, 2032. If Pierce attempts to return to the college coaching ranks during this period, he would face an automatic one-year suspension from all coaching duties, which would include no contact with the team or staff for the duration of that suspension.
Arizona State, meanwhile, is currently serving a four-year probationary period, which was implemented in 2022 as a result of these recruiting violations, and the school has also been fined.
In addition to Pierce, four other Arizona State employees involved in the violations received show-cause penalties ranging from three to ten years. These sanctions mark a significant fallout for the program, which was already facing scrutiny for its handling of the recruiting process during the pandemic.
Neither the Las Vegas Raiders nor Arizona State University provided any comment at the time of publication.
Pierce’s suspension raises questions about the future of his coaching career, both at the professional and college levels, as his actions at Arizona State have cast a long shadow over his otherwise promising trajectory.
For now, the consequences of his past decisions will continue to affect his legacy as both a coach and a leader in the football world.
