The New York Giants are adding another curious interview for head coach, despite their reported ongoing interest in John Harbaugh.
The Giants requested an interview with Denver Broncos special-teams coordinator Darren Rizzi for their vacant head coaching spot, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Rizzi is a native of Hillsdale, New Jersey in Bergen County and was the interim coach of the New Orleans Saints in 2024 after they fired Dennis Allen midseason. Rizzi went 3-5 while coaching the Saints but was not retained after they hired former Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Thus far Rizzi is one of at least a half-dozen candidates the Giants has interviewed or requested an interview with to take over for Brian Daboll, who was fired Nov. 10. The Giants have been linked to Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski, Mike McCarthy, Antonio Pierce, Raheem Morris and Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, as well as 2025 interim coach Mike Kafka.
Darren Rizzi Is A Curious Interview For The Giants Head Coaching Role
Rizzi is a curious name to add to the list of head-coaching candidates because he doesn’t exactly fit the bill of what New York is seeking.
Sure, Harbaugh was also a special-teams coach before he took the helm for the Baltimore Ravens and won the Super Bowl over nearly two decades in the Charm City. But he also had some name recognition and pedigree by virtue of his brother and former-NFL QB Jim and their longtime coach Jack Harbaugh.
Rizzi, meanwhile, is 55 and has only those eight games as head coach under his belt. He has attained the associate head coach role under former-Giants offensive coordinator and current Broncos coach Sean Payton — after working under Payton and Allen in New Orleans as well.
Still, the Giants’ role is the most coveted position available at the moment — though that could change if Sean McDermott loses his job coaching the Buffalo Bills or if any other unforeseen coaching changes get made after Wild Card weekend.
The Giants have their quarterback and a relatively talented roster, despite finishing 4-13 and landing a top-5 pick for the second straight year.
It can’t hurt Joe Schoen, John Mara and Giants brass to meet with a candidate like Rizzi — or Pierce or any other candidate they deem to consider worthy of the role. But hiring Rizzi would be a tough sell for the down-bad Giants fan base, especially given the perception they
Potential Giants, John Harbaugh Match Heats Up
Though the Giants are doing their due diligence and considering candidates, rather than putting all their eggs in the Harbaugh basket, the potential match between the team and the elder Harbaugh is starting to take shape.
According to Dianna Russini, a New Jersey resident and NFL insider for The Athletic, the Giants are going to speak with Harbaugh next week and are fully engaged with the former Ravens coach’s people despite their ongoing coaching interviews.
“The New York Giants have kept in close contact with John Harbaughâs representation,” Russini shared on X (formerly Twitter). “They are doing as much as they can to prepare for their interview next week and keep communication going.”
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