LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The National Collegiate Athletics Association has issued a ruling against current Las Vegas Raiders head coach and former Arizona State associate head coach Antonio Pierce.
That's due to recruiting violations.
According to the NCAA, Pierce participated in a "program wide effort to engage in impermissible recruiting activities during the COVID-19 dead period."
The organization said Pierce and other members of the football staff, as well as a booster, arranged unofficial visits to the school for a year. The NCAA says that over the course of 15 weekends, 27 recruits:
- Had tryouts
- Toured the football facility
- Received free meals
- Received free apparel
- Received free airfare
- Received free lodging
At one point, the NCAA says they took a prospect's parents to a gentlemen's club.
Due to those trips, the NCAA says eight players eventually enrolled at Arizona State and went on to compete in 19 games while they were ineligible.
One assistant coach said Pierce directed him to text and call a student-athlete who was enrolled at another school and wasn't in the Transfer Portal, which is considered tampering. The coach sent the student-athlete 46 text messages and called him at least once but ultimately, the player did not transfer to Arizona State.
During interviews with the NCAA, several members of the coaching staff and Pierce "ran the show" and they feared that if they didn't do what Pierce said, they would lose their jobs.
According to the NCAA, after he left Arizona State, Pierce "failed on multiple occasions to meet his responsibility to cooperate." While he did interview with NCAA enforcement staff and acknowledge some facts surrounding the unofficial visits, "he consistently denied planning or arranging any portion of the visits, providing recruiting inducements, or participating in the out-of-state contacts and evaluations."
Pierce also failed to provide relevant financial information, the NCAA says.
Due to the infractions, the NCAA has handed down an eight-year show-cause order for Pierce.
That means that if returns to college football and is employed by an NCAA member school, he will be suspended from all athletically-related activities for the first season of his employment.
On Friday, Pierce addressed the punishment during media availability.
"No comment," Pierce said. "I'm employed by the Raiders."
Back in April, the NCAA put ASU on four years of probation, issued an undisclosed fine, vacated games in which ineligible players competed, reduced scholarships and recruiting restrictions.
Pierce was originally hired by ASU coach Herm Edwards in December 2017. He resigned from ASU in 2022 and was then hired as the Raiders linebackers coach. He was named the interim head coach in October 2023 and was named the head coach in January 2024.
Pierce is one of five assistants who resigned or were fired after the ASU allegations first surfaced in 2021.
You can read the NCAA's full decision below.
NCAA Antonio Pierce Decision by jarah.wright on Scribd
