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Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is a name circulating in the rumor mill as a serious candidate for the New York Giants‘ vacant head coaching position. On November 10, New York announced the dismissal of Brian Daboll following another disappointing performance, a double-digit defeat to the Chicago Bears in Week 10. Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka has stepped in as the interim head coach, while general manager Joe Schoen remains in charge of finding Daboll’s successor. With the Giants‘ head coaching search now underway, names will be emerging. On the November 11 edition of “CBS Sports HQ,” Pierce received a promising message from Pete Prisco and Leger Douzable that New York should consider their former linebacker as a serious candidate. “I would talk to Antonio Pierce,” Prisco said. “I would bring him in; I want to hear his plan, what he has in store, who’s going to be his offensive coordinator, what he’s going to do on the defensive side, because he is a leader of men, and I think people would respond to him. So, yes, I would definitely talk to him and consider him. “I still think there are other options out there in addition to a guy like Antonio Pierce. We talked about it before the show. Mike McCarthy is sitting out there. Mike McCarthy is a damn good football coach who knows offensive football and would be able to develop it around Jaxson Dart, but I would definitely, definitely interview Antonio Pierce.” More Praise for Former Raiders Coach as Giants Candidate Douzable also praised the potential candidacy of Pierce, noting what he did as a first-time head coach with the Raiders despite the team not having a solution at quarterback. Moreover, as a former Giants player, Pierce is familiar with the New York market and media. “One hundred ten percent, Antonio Pierce,” Douzable said. “First and foremost, you have to be a special coach to coach in New York with the media that comes with it. He knows it as a player; he lived in that locker room, right? He won a championship with the New York Giants. You don’t think the energy would be in the stadium with Antonio Pierce walking out of it? You talked about [how] he’s a leader of men. The team, the players, when he became interim coach for the Raiders, they gravitated toward him. “He did such a good job that they elevated him and made him the head coach there. He didn’t get a fair shake of what happened the next year with the Raiders… [Nonetheless], I want to know what your plan is for the offensive side because we have a young franchise quarterback. We need to know that there’s a plan in place to develop him the right way to bring him along. But as far as leadership of men and all the other intangibles, Antonio Pierce definitely has it.” Should Another Former Raiders Coach Be Considered? Pierce could make for an interesting story, but former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden might be a more practical option. The Giants are looking for a strong offensive mind to help develop Dart. While Gruden has had struggles with personnel decisions, his track record with quarterbacks is impressive. Nick Brinkerhoff of USA Today believes Gruden could be a good fit in New York. “Gruden has gotten back in the public eye and continues to seemingly campaign for another head coaching job,” Brinkerhoff wrote. “He ultimately resigned as the Raiders coach in 2021 following some offensive emails being made public. He’s a wild-card.
