Antonio Pierce must hope there’s no apparent need for him to say goodbye to Las Vegas. The current Raiders HC would not go about coaching a college team, even if that happens. It seems another coach is catching punishment strays from the NCAA.

“Raiders coach Antonio Pierce was hit with an 8-year show-cause penalty,” per latest reports. We’re talking about aggravated Level I violations, folk. The kind that puts you on the NCAA’s naughty list big time! A show-cause order means that any NCAA program hiring him has to prove why they shouldn’t face penalties.

Cutting the chase: it’s not a good look. And it’s likely he won’t be looking to dive back into the college scene anytime soon. Many of you might have recalled something similar following suit with the Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. The only difference is, in Pierce’s case, the punishment’s double the time! But what exactly did he do to get this verdict?

Here’s the scoop: The NCAA’s decision highlights how Pierce violated the principles of ethical conduct during his time in Tempe. According to their findings, he was at the center of a scheme to bring recruits to the ASU during the COVID-19 dead period. Picture this: over 15 weekends, he and the staff arranged unofficial visits that involved impermissible contacts, tryouts, and even free meals and lodging for 27 prospects! It’s like he threw caution to the wind and decided to ignore the rules. Definitely not the playbook move we’d expect!

The report goes on to state that Antonio Pierce not only facilitated these recruiting violations. But he also failed to cooperate with the investigation. He was accused of providing “false or misleading information” and even pressured staff members into participating in the infractions, leaving them fearing for their jobs if they didn’t comply. That’s a tough huddle to be in! This kind of behavior isn’t just a penalty flag; it’s more like a personal foul that could keep him sidelined for a while.

Pierce’s show-cause order runs until October 2, 2032, meaning if a college team hires him during that time, he will face a suspension and be barred from contact with players or coaches in his first year. Alongside him, the NCAA report mentioned other names as well.

Jayden Daniels’ mother an accomplice to Antonio Pierce?

The NCAA vengeance card has not just hit Antonio Pierce. But it has also hit former ASU football analyst Anthony Garnett with a five-year show-cause order for his role in the recruiting scandal. Uh-oh!

And here’s where it gets spicier. The NCAA report names Regina Jackson, the mother of former ASU quarterback Jayden Daniels, as a key player in setting up those illicit campus visits. Can you believe it? Daniels wasn’t even big at ASU and made a name for himself after transferring to LSU, snagging the Heisman and being the No. 2 overall pick by the Commanders in the NFL Draft.

Who knew he might have been part of this tangled web? The report claims that “the majority of the violations stemmed from a scheme,” and it’s hard not to think that this whole situation feels like a last-second Hail Mary gone wrong!

So, what’s the takeaway here? Arizona State is now dealing with probation, vacated games, and a whole mess of recruiting restrictions. Pierce left ASU and jumped straight into the Raiders’ coaching staff, thinking all was dead and buried. But now he’s got to weather this storm.