Giants’ New Head Coach Considers Changes

In a recent interview, Manager John Harbaugh revealed he’s contemplating bringing on Rex Ryan, the former Jets head coach and current ESPN commentator, for the defensive coordinator position with the Giants.

“I had a detailed discussion with Rex about the role,” Harbaugh mentioned. “Rex is someone I respect greatly.”

Ultimately, Harbaugh decided to hire Denard Wilson, who previously worked as the Titans’ defensive coordinator and served as the Ravens’ defensive backs coach under him last season.

Rex Ryan, who guided the Jets to two AFC Championship games between 2009 and 2014, hasn’t been on an NFL coaching staff since he was let go by the Bills in 2016. Interestingly, he had previously worked alongside Harbaugh as a defensive coordinator in Baltimore during Harbaugh’s first year as head coach.

In making his decision, Harbaugh chose Wilson over other candidates like Anthony Weaver, a former Ravens defensive coordinator, and Broncos assistant head coach Jim Leonhardt.

Additionally, Harbaugh brought former Ravens assistant Chris Horton onboard as the Giants’ special teams coordinator and Willie Taggart as the new running backs coach.

Harbaugh also facilitated the hiring of Dawn Aponte as the Giants’ senior vice president of football operations and strategy. She will oversee analytics, salary cap management, and player contract negotiations while reporting directly to Harbaugh.

While Todd Monken was initially Harbaugh’s top pick for offensive coordinator, he accepted the head coaching role with the Browns. However, Harbaugh expressed confidence in Matt Nagy, saying something like, “We expect Matt to excel in this role. I truly hope he becomes one of the best offensive coordinators in the game.”