The Las Vegas Raiders hired Tom Telesco as their next general manager, the team announced Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Chargers fired Telesco, alongside coach Brandon Staley, in December after 11 seasons as GM.
The 51-year-old produced an 84-95 record and three playoff appearances with the Chargers. Telesco boasts an impressive record of first-round draft picks, including quarterback Justin Herbert, pass-rusher Joey Bosa, wide receiver Mike Williams, and safety Derwin James.
The Raiders are pairing Telesco with Antonio Pierce, who earned the full-time head coaching role following an impressive stint as the interim coach.
Pierce took over after the Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler in early November, with Champ Kelly named interim GM.
Kelly and the Indianapolis Colts’ Ed Dodds were widely viewed as the top contenders for the permanent role.
However, the Raiders got “cold feet” about pairing a first-time coach with a first-time GM and pivoted to Telesco after bringing him in for a second interview Monday, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.
