00:00Could the Giants be bringing back a franchise legend to potentially take over as head coach?
00:05You guys saw the reports over the weekend.
00:07Antonio Pierce, my guy, impressed the franchise during his interview this past week
00:12and is a born leader that learned a lot from Tom Coughlin.
00:16That came from the reports.
00:18Now, understand that this is a coaching candidate that doesn't have the resume of a John Harbaugh
00:24or even the experience with quarterbacks as a Kevin Stefanski.
00:28But if you think about it, he could be that outside-the-box hire that still checks a lot of the boxes that the franchise is looking for.
00:36In my opinion, I think Antonio Pierce should be in strong consideration for this job.
00:42Let's get to the pros.
00:44You know how the Giants love the loyalty thing and love doing things the Giants way.
00:48This dude is the Giants way.
00:50Just remixed the 2026 version, former Giants linebacker, captain of that Super Bowl winning defense in 2007.
00:59Wink, wink.
00:59And he was a former pro bowler.
01:02Another pro.
01:02He's got some NFL head coaching experience.
01:05You can be the judge of his time in Vegas as interim head coach in the middle of the, what, 2023 season.
01:10He stepped up, took over the team, and he led the Raiders to a 5-4 finish.
01:14That included a 63-21 win over the Chargers.
01:18And they went and beat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas.
01:23Upset.
01:24In those nine games, the Raiders led the NFL in scoring defense with only 16 points allowed per game.
01:31Now, I get it.
01:31He was fired after going 4-13 the following season.
01:35So, that's, what, only a year and a half ahead coaching experience.
01:38But that's still more than some of the coordinators that the Giants are planning to interview.
01:43And the next and last one is he comes and commands with the respect of a John Harbaugh.
01:51Not when it comes to the coaching resume.
01:53I get that.
01:54But he still gets that respect without a doubt.
01:57Max Crosby and teammates publicly advocated for Antonio Pierce to get that Raiders job.
02:04They even made a hashtag, Hire AP.
02:08Relatability and accountability.
02:10That's what this man is about.
02:11And I think he's the most relatable coach in this hiring cycle and can get the most out of this locker room.
02:17He's also a defensive genius.
02:19And if turning the Giants' defense around is a priority, this is a guy that can come in and make that priority happen right away and get the most out of his players.
02:29Now, we got a flip side.
02:31Talk about the con.
02:32What's the plan for Jackson Dart and this offense if he gets this job?
02:38During that 2024 season with Aiden O'Connell as his quarterback, the Raiders' offense was absolutely horrible.
02:44And they were at the bottom of the league in total yards, dead last in rushing yards and points per game.
02:50But most importantly, they were 28th in passing yards.
02:53Jackson Dart cannot take a step back in his development in year two.
02:57Whoever Antonio Pierce would bring in as offensive coordinator would be his most important hire.
03:04And all eyes would be on that guy.
03:06Last but not least, I don't think he made the most out of this opportunity in Vegas.
03:11He had the hype, the buzz, the energy, the juice, going 5-4 as the interim head coach in 2023.
03:17But when he got the job in 2024, he goes 4-13.
03:22In his defense, Aiden O'Connell was his quarterback.
03:25But no excuses in this league.
03:27It's always going to fall on the head coach.
03:29You still have to find a way to win more than four games in the NFL.
03:34What if Jackson Dart gets injured?
03:36Would you still be able to win?
03:38Would you still be able to lead?
03:39Would you still be able to get things done without your QB1?
03:43As of right now, I think he's a long shot because of some of the names that are available currently.
03:49But if the Giants want to go outside the box with someone who's, one, homegrown,
03:54and, two, who could potentially just breathe a new life and energy into this franchise,
04:00then this isn't a gamble at all.
04:01It's a sure thing.
04:03But here's what my man A.P. said about the job.
04:05But most importantly, his interview with the franchise.
04:09The way January works in National Football League, there's opportunities.
04:12And I've just been fortunate enough to have a couple phone calls and conversations with some teams
04:18and some gentlemen that I respect very well across the river, over in New Jersey.
04:23And it was a good week.
04:24It was promising.
04:25And like everything else, you put your best foot forward, give it an opportunity,
04:28you make the most out of it, let the chips fall where they go.
04:31Look at this man smiling, all giddy, like he had a nice first date.
04:35This Giants head coaching cycle, this search, is going to continue to go.
04:38We just saw the reports that they're going to interview Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
04:43So do stay locked in with us at the New York Post Sports,
04:46because we've got more on all the potential candidates to be the next Giants head coach.
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