The New York Giants are reportedly set to interview former Las Vegas Raiders' head coach Antonio Pierce this offseason.
With one week left in the 2025 NFL regular season, the New York Giants will soon begin a quest to find the franchise’s next head coach for 2026.
While many names have been rumored to be in the coaching carousel, NFL insider Jordan Raanan threw a new name into the mix on Friday: former Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach Antonio Pierce.
“Pierce coached a talent-deficient team in Las Vegas in 2023 and 2024,” Raanan wrote. “The hope is that he learned from his mistakes. He knows the inner workings of the Giants organization and is a natural leader, not afraid to make the kind of tough decisions necessary while navigating the potential pitfalls of the job.”
Pierce, before his coaching days, had an extensive background with the franchise dating back to the early 2000s. The former undrafted linebacker spent five seasons with the Giants and was part of the team’s Super Bowl Championship back in 2007.
Shortly after his playing career, Pierce would quickly transition into a coaching role, with his first prominent gig being with the Arizona State Sun Devils in 2018 as the program’s linebacker coach. Pierce rose in the ranks, which led to him joining the Las Vegas Raiders’ staff in 2022 as a linebackers coach.
It would not take long before he would receive his first crack at a head coach role in the NFL, as he took over the position for the Raiders in 2023 after the firing of Josh McDaniels. Pierce’s impact for the rest of the season was felt by the entire organization, and Las Vegas would ultimately name him as the team’s head coach for the 2024 season.
However, the hiring backfired for the Raiders, as Pierce finished his first year in his new position with a 4-12 record. It did not take long for Las Vegas’ new regime to move on from the young coach in favor of the current head coach, Pete Carroll.
The hope with Pierce, if he does become the Giants’ next head coach, would be to help instill the winning culture that was present during his time in New York. Clearly, the 47-year-old was thrown into the fire with his first head coach job, as the Raiders will finish with a worse record this year.
In addition to Pierce, Raanan also highlighted former Dallas Cowboys’ head coach Mike McCarthy, Denver Broncos’ defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, and Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator Chris Shula as possible head coach candidates.