The Las Vegas Raiders now hold a new distinction!

According to an announcement by Diverse Representation on X, the team has become the first in the NFL to boast a Black president, Sandra Douglass Morgan; Black coach, Antonio Pierce; and Black general manager, Champ Kelly.

Antonio Pierce

The news follows the recent promotion of Pierce, who previously served as the team’s linebackers coach before being named interim head coach, according to The Lincoln Journal Star in Lincoln, NE.

“I’ve been around these guys for two years now as a linebackers coach. I made my presence known in the linebacker room, defensive line room, quarterback room and the running back room,” Pierce explained, according to the NFL. “I’m a former player; I touch football players. I can relate to them. I’ve done the same things they’ve done. I’ve walked the same paths they walked. I felt the same pain they felt. So, there’s nothing or any emotional ride or rollercoaster they’ve gone through this year or the two years I’ve been with them, that I haven’t felt. My personality will come out and reflect on this team.”

Sandra Douglass Morgan

As for Morgan, she assumed her post in July 2022 and carries over 20 years of experience across industries that include sports, gaming, legal, and corporate sectors, the Raiders note.

She also became the first Black woman to be named president of an NFL team as a result, per CBS.

 

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“We have so much more to do, and I’m excited to be at the helm of that growth and look forward to ushering in the new chapter for the Raiders,” Morgan said about the achievement, according to CBS. “The fact is I have accepted this role because I believe in the promise of the Raiders, I believe in the future of the Raiders, and I believe in this organization’s tenets of community, integrity, and most of all, commitment to excellence.”

Champ Kelly

 

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Completing the trio of Black excellence is Kelly who joined the Raiders as assistant general manager in 2022. He had previously worked for two seasons with the Chicago Bears as their director of pro scouting and five seasons as their assistant director of player personnel. Before that, he was over pro personnel for eight years with the Denver Broncos, according to Sports Illustrated.

“Make no mistake, I’m prepared for this position,” Kelly told Sports Illustrated. “I believe in the power of intercessory prayer. I know people all over the country are praying for me in this moment. I received so much support from colleagues, GMs across the league, former players, coaches, advisers, family, and friends.”