The New York Giants have a new defensive coordinator. The Giants have hired former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen as their DC, replacing Wink Martindale, confirmed by CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones.
According to Dianna Russini, general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll placed high importance on taking their time with the hire. The search lasted 27 days, with eight interviews, before they hired a replacement. Bowen and former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley were the only two candidates with experience in the position.
Bowen spent the last three seasons as the Titans DC, dating back to 2021. Before that role, the 37-year-old was the outside linebackers coach for Tennessee from 2018 to 2020. His NFL career began in 2016, when he was the defensive assistant with the Houston Texans, a role he held for two seasons.
In his first season in Tennessee, the team had the second-ranked rushing defense in the NFL. The next season, the Titans led the league in rushing defense, allowing just 76.9 yards per game. In 2023, the Titans were 13th in rushing defense, 18th in yards allowed and 16th in points.
This season, the Giants defense was tied for first in turnovers (31) and in the bottom six in the NFL in yards and points allowed. The Giants finished 6-11 in 2023.
Bowen worked as a graduate assistant for Ohio State, assisting then-defensive line coach Mike Vrabel in 2012. As a defensive assistant with the Texans, Bowen once again worked with Vrabel, who was Houston’s linebackers coach at the time. When Vrabel was named the Titans’ head coach in 2018, he hired Bowen as his outside linebackers coach. Vrabel was fired at the end of the 2023 season.
