Giants hiring Shane Bowen as defensive coordinator
Tennessee Titans outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen instructs his players during training camp in Nashville on Aug. 24, 2020. Credit: AP/George Walker IV
The Giants believe they have found their new defensive coordinator. He is Shane Bowen, who spent the past three seasons in the same role with the Titans.
A source said Bowen will replace Wink Martindale, whose departure from the Giants last month was an ugly one for all parties involved.
Bowen, 37, also interviewed with the Jaguars for the same position.
His coaching career began in 2009 as a student assistant at Georgia Tech, where he stayed until 2011. His first position coaching role was at Kennesaw State, where he served as the linebackers coach from 2013-15.
The Titans allowed 335.5 yards per game last season, tied with the Packers for 17th in the league. Tennessee’s 21.6 points allowed per game ranked 16th.
The Giants gave up 361.7 yards per game last season, 27th in the league. They allowed 23.9 points per game, ranking 26th.
ESPN also reported that the Giants are preparing to speak with former Titans coaches while they fill out their staff.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen told reporters at last week’s Senior Bowl that he had hoped for a decision on the defensive coordinator post by the end of last week.
Movement among other candidates mostly was the cause for the slight delay. The Giants had considered Bills linebackers coach Bobby Babich, but Buffalo promoted him to defensive coordinator.
The Giants also considered their current defensive backs coach, 17-year coaching veteran Jerome Henderson, as a potential candidate.
The Giants went 6-11 in 2023, and while it probably is too early to suggest that the Brian Daboll-Schoen partnership is on the clock, Giants ownership likely will expect more next season. And that might include not only more numbers in the win column but also a more professional operation overall.
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
