TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce has been hit with an eight-year show-cause order by the NCAA for violations during his time as an assistant coach at Arizona State.
Former Arizona State staffer Anthony Garnett also incurred a five-year show-cause penalty, according to a statement released by the NCAA on Thursday.
The penalties primarily stem from impermissible contact with 35 recruits during the roughly one-year COVID-19 dead period, including tryouts, football facility tours and entertainment over a span of 15 weekends. The NCAA said Pierce, several members of the football staff and a booster — then a parent of a student-athlete in the program — arranged the visits.
Pierce also arranged or personally provided free meals, apparel, airfare and/or lodging to 27 prospects. The benefits associated with the unofficial visits, which included taking a prospect's parents to a gentleman's club, constituted impermissible recruiting inducements, according the NCAA.
Eight of the prospects eventually enrolled at Arizona State and competed in 19 contests while ineligible, the NCAA said.
"In arriving at an eight-year show-cause order for Pierce, the panel emphasized his role as the ringleader in orchestrating the recruiting violations,” the NCAA report said.
The Division I Committee on Infractions approved a negotiated resolution in April for the school and four individuals who agreed to the violations and penalties in the case. Three others did not participate in the processing of the case and had their violations and penalties included in the agreement. The school immediately began serving penalties while awaiting the committee's final decision on Pierce and Garnett, who contested their violations.
The NCAA investigation revealed Pierce provided false or misleading information and was unwilling to provide his financial records. An Arizona State staff member told the NCAA that Pierce “did not fear the potential consequences for NCAA violations due to the financial security provided by his self-proclaimed wealth.”
“Pierce used his position of authority to pressure staff members into engaging in violations, often by instilling fear that they would lose their jobs if they did not follow his orders,” the report said.
Pierce left Arizona State in 2022 and was hired as the Raiders linebackers coach. He was named the Raiders permanent coach in January after serving as interim coach since October 2023.
