With just days until the end of the 2025 regular season, the New York Giants have already begun to compile a list of head coaches they plan on interviewing.
Thanks to the scoop from ESPN’s Giants insider Jordan Raanan, we now know that not only is Joe Schoen “coming back” as general manager, but he will lead the search for the franchise’s next head coach.
Among the names the team is interested in are former NFL head coaches Mike McCarthy and Antonio Pierce, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, and Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
Interim head coach Mike Kafka will also receive an interview, per Raanan.
What Are the Giants Looking for in a Head Coach?
When it comes to their next head coach, the New York Giants seem to be looking to correct the errors of their past hire.
Brian Daboll is a good offensive coach; that much can’t be disputed. But was he a coach capable of connecting with his entire team?
In some areas, no, and New York now seems to be looking for a guy who can lend a hand in all three facets of the game, and not just focus on their specialty.
SNY’s Connor Hughes reported as much when the Giants initially fired Daboll back in November.
“Conventional wisdom suggests the Giants covet an offensive-minded coach — someone to groom Dart for the next decade. But that’s not the case. They tried that with Brian Daboll, and it didn’t work,” wrote Hughes.
“The Giants now want a CEO-type coach — someone with command of all three phases of the game. They want a leader who can capture the locker room and master the details to tilt close games in their favor. New York is 3-12 in one-score games since 2023, including four blown 10-point leads this season.”
Among those coaches listed in the initial interview list, who fits that criteria?
CEO-Type Coaches Among Reported Names
Among McCarthy, Pierce, Hafley, Anarumo, and Shula, only a few stand out as coaches with experience and expertise to handle a CEO-type role as the New York Giants head coach.
McCarthy, the former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach, has the most experience of all available candidates and would immediately raise the floor for the Giants.
While offense is his speciality, the Cowboys boasted a top-12 defense his final two years in Dallas.
Pierce is also an interesting choice, as a former player and Super Bowl champion with the Giants organization.
He cut his teeth coaching the defensive side of the ball, but his leadership skills were what got him his head coaching gig with the Las Vegas Raiders.
You can argue he was dealt a tough hand with the Raiders’ porous roster before getting fired after his first full season on the job.
And finally, Hafley, while currently serving as a defensive coordinator, most recent job before joining the Packers was head coach at Boston College.
There, he helped lead an entire collegiate program, managing the transfer portal and building out a staff and roster from the ground up.
Those experiences at BC may help Hafley as he looks to land his first NFL head coaching gig, and maybe for his hometown team as a Montvale, New Jersey native.
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