The New York Giants are turning to familiar bloodlines as they search for their next head coach.
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Former Giants captain Antonio Pierce will meet with team leadership over dinner Thursday night and then formally interview Friday for the head coaching vacancy, according to ESPN. Pierce was out of the league this season after being dismissed by the Las Vegas Raiders, but he has remained a regular presence around East Rutherford.
Pierce's visit, paired with an in-person interview earlier Thursday with former Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris, allows the Giants to satisfy the NFL's Rooney Rule requirement of conducting two in-person interviews with external minority candidates. Once Pierce's interview concludes, the Giants will be free to make a hire.
That context matters. The Giants are among the teams named in a lawsuit brought by Brian Flores, which alleges that minority candidates have at times been subjected to sham interviews. In this cycle, the Giants have also interviewed interim head coach Mike Kafka in person and Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph via Zoom.
Pierce stands out for more than procedural reasons. He knows the Giants organization as well as anyone from the outside ever could, from ownership down, and he has never been shy about speaking his mind. Confrontation has never bothered him.
One of the most impactful free-agent signings in franchise history, Pierce played five seasons with the Giants from 2005 through 2009 and served as the emotional backbone of the team that stunned the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. He was also the driving force behind the Giants wearing all black for that game, branding it a "funeral" for New England's perfect season.
Pierce later took over as interim head coach of the Raiders in 2023 following the firing of Josh McDaniels and beat the Giants in his first game on the job. He went 5-4 down the stretch, earning a full-time promotion, but lasted just one season before being fired after a 4-13 campaign.
