For the second year in a row, Darren Rizzi is in the running for a head coaching position. When the New Orleans Saints chose Kellen Moore last offseason, Rizzi reunited with Sean Payton on the Denver Broncos as their special teams coordinator. Fast forward a year and the New York Giants have requested to interview Rizzi for their head coaching vacancy.
Rizzi took over as interim head coach after Dennis Allen was fired in 2024. Though Rizzi went 3-5, it's not like he had much working in his favor. The Saints were significantly banged up. Basically every argument used in favor of Spencer Rattler could be used for Rizzi. Still, Rizzi was a spark for the Saints. He won his first two games, and that matched the season total at times.
One thing you could never question about Rizzi was his leadership. Players galvanized Rizzi after the change. He might not have gotten the job, but the respect was clear from the players. He came in Day 1 making cultural changes. Bold move as an interim coach, but it shows the mentality Rizzi brings to the job.
Darren Rizzi to the Giants is a perfect fit for the former Saint
During Rizzi's stint as the Saints interim head coach, he was lucky enough to coach a game not only against the Giants but in Met Life stadium. Rizzi had to make sure he didn't "get too wrapped up in the moment" and keep the "blinders on like everybody else" ahead of the game. This was far from a normal game, thogh. Rizzi grew up rooting for the Giants and going to Giants playoff games.
Rizzi coaching the Giants just makes sense, for him. He's a local kid that gets excited from merely coaching a game in the stadium. Just imagine the pride Rizzi would feel from leading the Giants into battle each week. He won't come out and say it unless he's hired, but this is more than likely Rizzi's dream job.
The other side of the coin is it also needs to make sense for the Giants. It would make for an incredible story, but the Giants will need more than a feel good story and childhood fandom to hire Rizzi. There will be many people in New Orleans who will be rooting for Rizzi to secure this job because if you aren't the Giants, why wouldn't you want this to happen?