The New York Giants are looking into a familiar face to potentially fill their head coaching vacancy. According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Giants are scheduled to interview former linebacker and Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce for the position on Thursday night and on Friday.
Giants to Interview Antonio Pierce for HC Job
Pierce, a key leader on the Giants’ Super Bowl XLII championship defense, is the latest candidate to emerge as general manager Joe Schoen casts a wide net to find the successor to Brian Daboll.
Pierce’s candidacy brings an intriguing mix of nostalgia and recent head coaching experience. After taking over as the Raiders’ interim head coach in 2023 and leading the team to an impressive 5-4 finish, he earned the full-time job heading into the 2024 season.
However, his first full year at the helm didn’t go as planned; Las Vegas struggled to a 4-13 record, leading to his firing after just one season. Despite the rough finish in Vegas, Pierce is still viewed by many around the league as a leader of men who commands respect in the locker room — a trait the Giants have sorely lacked in recent years.
The Giants Are Familiar with Pierce
For the Giants, this interview represents a potential homecoming for one of the franchise’s most vocal leaders of the 2000s. Pierce manned the middle of the field for Big Blue from 2005 to 2009, serving as a defensive captain and racking up over 690 career tackles.
He knows the pressure of the New York market better than most, having thrived in it during the peak of the Tom Coughlin era. His connection to the organization’s glory days could be appealing to ownership, though Schoen will need to investigate Pierce’s tactical acumen, his plan to fix the defense, and his plan to develop promising young QB Jaxson Dart, if he were to be hired.
Pierce Could Be a Culture-Setter
While Pierce’s overall head coaching record sits at 9-17, his proponents argue that he was dealt a bad hand in Las Vegas with instability at the quarterback position. The Giants, inversely, have promise at quarterback and want to ensure they have a proper plan in place to develop Dart.
The Giants are in a similar boat to the one Las Vegas was in, though, needing a cultural reset and new leadership.
Pierce brings a defensive-minded, no-nonsense philosophy that contrasts sharply with the approach of the previous regime. If the Giants want to pivot back to a physical, identity-driven team, Pierce could be a strong emotional favorite, even if his résumé is lighter than that of other seasoned candidates on the market.