Where things stand now, the New York Giants’ head coach search looks more like a Plinko ball bouncing unpredictably through that famous pegboard than anything remotely strategic or thought-out.
That's bound to happen. Looks can be deceiving, especially in the early stages of their interview process. From what we can tell, it’s literally anyone and everyone getting a look. General manager Joe Schoen is doing his best Oprah impression for head coach candidates: 'You get an interview, you get an interview, and you get an interview.'
Related: Joe Schoen may have just cleared the biggest hurdle in landing John Harbaugh
The list is growing so long and so quickly that it's hard to keep up. And on Thursday morning, another name was officially added -- one Big Blue Nation knows all too well. As reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, former Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce is throwing his hat in the ring for the open position:
Former Raiders HC Antonio Pierce, who was a standout linebacker for the New York Giants, will interview tonight and Friday for the Giants head coaching job, per sources. pic.twitter.com/xx7Jb6LtiU
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 8, 2026
Pierce will surely hope to follow in the footsteps of Mike Vrabel -- another former standout linebacker -- who took the team he once played for, the Patriots, from 4-13 to 14-3 in his first season back in New England. But replicating that kind of turnaround is so much easier said than done.
Antonio Pierce is not the Giants’ version of Mike Vrabel
Pierce spent five of his nine playing seasons in East Rutherford, earning a Pro Bowl nod and a Super Bowl ring in 2006 -- against Vrabel and the Patriots, no less. The 47-year-old would be a nice nostalgia play for the G-Men, but his limited success coaching an equally dysfunctional Raiders team raises more questions than answers, especially when compared to some of the other candidates.
Pierce shocked the world in his interim stint after Vegas cut ties with Josh McDaniels midseason in 2023. After becoming HC after Week 8, he led the Raiders to a 5-4 record, earning the headset the following year. And that's where it all fell apart. He got fired after going 4-13, struggling with game management and player relationships, specifically with Davante Adams.
It wasn't exactly ideal working conditions in Sin City, but it won't be here either. And it's unclear if Pierce can take a down-in-the-dumps franchise like the Giants and all their institutional problems and turn them around in one season like Vrabes.
Vrabel built a strong culture over six seasons in Tennessee and wasted no time bringing that same level of accountability to New England.
It helped that the Patriots had nearly unlimited cap space last offseason to reload around Drake Maye. It also doesn’t hurt that Robert Kraft holds the franchise to a higher standard than most owners in sports -- a level of involvement and urgency John Mara hasn’t matched in years.
Hiring someone because of nostalgia or a shared past with the franchise doesn’t automatically solve structural issues this organization has been wrestling with for years. Vrabel had the right mix of experience, roster flexibility, and organizational alignment that allowed him to flip the script in New England -- Pierce simply and unfortunately doesn’t check the same boxes.
Giants fans deserve more than a feel‑good story for their next HC. They deserve a coach who can actually break the losing cycle instead of just reminding everyone of the good old days. We'll always root for Pierce's success, just maybe not as much this time.