Antonio Pierce has focused only on the players since taking over as temporary head coach following Josh McDaniels’ firing by the Las Vegas Raiders last month. He avoided answering the question about his prospects of getting the full-time position.

In his first press conference on November 1, Pierce stated, “This is a great opportunity for myself.” I’m honored, humbled, and I don’t take this lightly. There will undoubtedly be inquiries about how and why. All of those will have responses. However, the players, the Raiders, and this organization are the main subjects of this.

Pierce should approach his situation appropriately, but the reality is that he is currently going through what amounts to an extended job interview. Before their Week 13 bye, the Raiders had a 2-2 record in their four games under Pierce’s interim leadership.

Speaking on Monday, Pierce stated, “I have five weeks to get right,” referring to his outlook for the remainder of the season. “I’ll be taking a lot more time off if I don’t get better.”

The Raiders are 5-7 on the year and are still in the running for the playoffs despite being outside the picture.

Seldom are interim head coaches hired for permanent positions. Pro Football Rumors reports that Pierce is the 43rd person to temporarily succeed a head coach who has resigned or been fired since 2000. Only ten of the prior forty-two were elevated to head coach the following year. That represents a mere 23.8% promotion rate.

It’s probably more a reflection of the fact that temporary head coaches typically step into difficult situations than it is of their coaching abilities. Interim coaches usually take over clubs with a losing record, though there are several exceptions. Furthermore, there’s frequently not enough time left in the season for the coaches to establish themselves and alter the course of the club.

The fact that employing interim head coaches hasn’t proven to be a successful strategy in the past has further hampered their chances. Seven of the ten coaches who have been retained since 2000 went on to have a losing record when serving as the head coach full-time.