John Harbaugh is expected to fill the Giants’ defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator roles with two familiar faces
John Harbaugh is moving to hire two former Ravens coaches to join his New York Giants staff.
The New York Giants are finally progressing with their coordinator hires under new head coach John Harbaugh.
On Sunday afternoon, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported that the Giants intend to fill their defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator positions. Harbaugh will tab Dennard Wilson as his DC and Chris Horton as his STC. Both coaches have previously worked under Harbaugh as assistants.
Giants to hire Dennard Wilson as their DC
Wilson previously worked for Harbaugh as his defensive backs coach in 2023, before being hired as the Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator in 2024 under Brian Callahan.
Wilson has served only as a defensive coordinator for 2 of his 17 years as an NFL coach. Nine of those years, he was a defensive backs coach for the St. Louis Rams, the New York Jets, and the Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2024, as the Titans’ DC, Tennessee was second in the NFL in total yards allowed but 30th in points allowed per game. They finished 26th in rush yards allowed and second in pass yards allowed.
This past year, when Callahan was fired, the Titans’ defense regressed. Tennessee was 21st in yards allowed and 28th in points allowed. Additionally, the finished 15th in rush yards allowed and 23rd in pass yards allowed.
Wilson’s track record of success as a DC is sparse, as both years with the Titans were in the bottom half of the NFL in most defensive statistics. In his defense, the Titans had one of the league’s weakest defensive rosters. Hopefully, a better core will enable Wilson to be more impactful.
Giants hiring Chris Horton as their STC
Like Wilson, Horton has previously served as an assistant under Harbaugh. From 2019-2025, Hoton held the same title as special teams coordinator in Baltimore. Prior to that, he served as the Ravens’ assistant special teams coach from 2014 to 2018. Now, it appears Horton will be promoted to assistant head coach, per Pelissero.
Since 2018, when Horton took over, the Ravens have had 10 All-Pro players with special teams roles at kicker, punter, long snapper, and punt returner. In that same span, they’ve had nine special teams Pro Bowlers.
Of the two hires, Horton is the most impactful given his track record, experience, and specialization. Especially considering that Harbaugh was a special teams coordinator himself before he was hired by the Ravens, this shows that he trusts Horton significantly.
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