Any enthusiasm for Antonio Pierce as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders quickly faded. He was very impressive in the interim role last year, but seemed completely overwhelmed now that he has the full-time job.

Look, many of us drank the Pierce Kool-Aid, but in hindsight, hiring him was always a bad idea. Interim head coaches who get promoted have never been successful, and Pierce only had two years of NFL coaching experience before this season.

The Raiders are having their worst season since 2014 and Mark Davis can’t ignore it. Pierce will likely be shown the door this offseason, but fortunately there are some good candidates out there who could take over. We will find out which one fits best.

Be sure to avoid: Bill Belichick, Jon Gruden and Kliff Kingsbury

All three of these coaches have had varying degrees of success, but the Raiders shouldn’t embark on any of these makeovers. Belichick may be the greatest coach of all time, but he’s 72 and the team has already tried the Patriot Way with Josh McDaniels.

Gruden has proven he can’t manage an NFL team anymore, so it would be a big mistake for the Raiders to try again. Kingsbury teams always start a season well but falter in the second half. When someone shows you who they are, believe them.

Honorable Mention: Joe Brady

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady is super interesting. He’s clearly a great offensive player and has been considered for a head coaching job in the past. However, he’s only 35 and it’s hard to imagine the Raiders replacing a coach the players really like with someone that young.

Liam Coen was probably the fastest riser among the head coach candidates. Any experienced playcaller can have success when they have a strong offense with an elite quarterback. What really impresses a coach is when he can take on less talent and still be effective.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are dealing with serious injuries to wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, who are their two best offensive weapons. Nevertheless, the team is one of the top 5 scoring offenses in the NFL. He also does it with Baker Mayfield at quarterback, who is very good but not elite.

Coen also worked under Sean McVay with the Los Angeles Rams for several years. Former McVay offensive assistants who get head coaching jobs have had great success. Just look at Matt LaFleur, Kevin O’Connell and Zac Taylor. If the Raiders are looking for an offensive-minded head coach to help them develop a rookie quarterback, Coen is one of the best options out there.

Mike Vrabel is the obvious choice to be the Raiders’ next head coach, and I would probably expect him to take over that position. He is very close to Tom Brady and has a proven track record as a head coach.

There are some concerns with him. Unless he has a very good offensive coordinator, his teams aren’t nearly as good. However, he’s the No. 1 prospect in the AFC with Ryan Tannehill as his starting quarterback, so he knows exactly what he’s doing.

Vrabel would be a guy who could handle Pierce’s transition with ease and would bring a level of toughness to the team that has been missing. When a young quarterback comes in, I would always prefer an offensive-minded head coach, but the Raiders can do far worse than Vrabel.

I almost didn’t consider Ben Johnson because I don’t think he would even consider the Raiders, but it’s hard to ignore his resume. The Lions offense is a powerhouse. They are No. 1 in the standings and seem to be putting up big numbers every week.

Johnson is a very big reason for that. They gave him a lot of talent to work with and he didn’t waste it. He is a brilliant playcaller and play designer. The only concern with him is that he may be a better coordinator than a head coach, but we won’t really know that until he gets a chance.

Giving Johnson an exciting young quarterback like Shedeur Sanders to work with would breathe some life into a fan base that has essentially given up on the idea that the Raiders would ever be good again. If the team could convince Johnson to come to Las Vegas, it would be a major sign that better days lie ahead.