Antonio Pierce emerges as shock contender emerges to take New York Giants job after stunning interview

If John Harbaugh wants to take over as head coach of the New York Giants, it appears that he is facing some growing competition.

The former Baltimore Ravens coach is hugely in-demand after leaving the team he led for 18 seasons this week. The Giants are among the leading contenders to appoint him but he isn’t the only man under consideration for the role.

Kevin Stefanski, the former Cleveland Browns head coach, is also in the running while a surprise name has also emerged in former Las Vegas Raiders head coach, Antonio Pierce.

According to Ian O’Connor, a columnist with The Athletic, Pierce left an extremely positive impression at Giants HQ after interviewing for the role this week on Thursday.

‘Antonio Pierce, who outcoached Pete Carroll in Las Vegas with a lesser QB, did a very good job with the Giants in his interview,’ O’Connor wrote.

‘”Blew me away with his growth,” said someone who knew him from his Super Bowl playing days. Another: “Born leader…Learned a lot from Tom Coughlin.” 

The Giants will, however, hold off making a decision over their next head coach until they’ve spoken with Harbaugh, which will likely be next week at the earliest.

Harbaugh has an array of openings to consider – he has also been strongly linked to the Miami Dolphins, who fired Mike McDaniel in the week, and the Tennessee Titans.

And he also has a hugely powerful man backing his corner. President Trump has told Harbaugh to go to the Giants, writing on Truth Social on Saturday afternoon: ‘The New York Football Giants should hire, without question, John Harbaugh – And John, a great guy, should TAKE THE JOB!!! President DJT’.

Part of Harbaugh’s decision might come down to who he prefers at quarterback. Jaxson Dart at the Giants is a dynamic player but concerns remain over his running style and how sustainable that really is over the course of a career in the NFL.

Cam Ward, at the Titans, was the No 1 pick in the 2025 Draft while at the Dolphins, a reset is on the way with Tua Tagovailoa set to leave the franchise in the offseason. A clean slate may also appeal to Harbaugh.

There are also vacancies at the Atlanta Falcons, the Browns, Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders.

Pierce, meanwhile, played five seasons with the Giants and won the Super Bowl with them in 2008.

He was fired by the Raiders in January 2025 but the team has only gone backwards since then.

His successor in Sin City, Pete Carroll, was fired after a year with the team sinking to a 3-14 record that gave them the top pick in the 2026 draft later this year. 

Pierce initially took the Raiders over as interim coach in 2023 after Josh McDaniels was fired. He earned the job on a full-time basis for the 2024 campaign and has a 9-17 record as a head coach.

As it stands, the smart money would be on Stefanski getting the job if Harbaugh goes elsewhere. But Pierce has massively improved his chances.