The Giants’ new interim defensive coordinator isn’t a household name.
Charlie Bullen, the Giants’ outside linebackers coach the past two seasons, has never been a DC or a play-caller before.
But that’s the role he’s stepping into, at least for the coming weeks, after Monday’s firing of Shane Bowen as defensive coordinator.
“I have a lot of faith in Charlie,” interim head coach Mike Kafka said Monday.
“I think he’s a smart coach. I think he’s detailed. He’s aggressive, and his room has had a lot of production. I think he’s ready for the task, and I know he’s ready for the task.”
Here’s what you need to know about Bullen:
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Bullen boasts 18 years of coaching experience, including 12 in the NFL.
He spent seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins from 2013-19, working as a defensive assistant, assistant defensive line coach and assistant linebackers coach.
With the Dolphins, Bullen overlapped with Giants general manager Joe Schoen, who was Miami’s assistant director of college scouting in 2013 and the director of player personnel from 2014-16.
Bullen then served as the Arizona Cardinals’ outside linebackers coach from 2020-22, working under then-DC Vance Joseph, who is now the defensive coordinator behind the Denver Broncos’ dominant defense.
In 2023, Bullen became the outside linebackers coach for the University of Illinois, but he spent only one year there before taking the same job with the Giants before the 2024 season.
GIANT RESULTS
Outside linebackers coach is a significant job for the Giants considering how much they’ve invested in the position.
Brian Burns flourished in his second season under Bullen, as his 13 sacks this year mark a career high through just 12 games. His 17 tackles for loss are tied for his career best.
It’s been a less productive pairing for rookie pass rusher Abdul Carter, the No. 3 overall pick in April’s draft, who has just 0.5 sacks and one tackle for loss through 12 games.
Kayvon Thibodeaux has 2.5 sacks in 10 games this year after recording 5.5 sacks in 12 games under Bullen last season.
“Charlie Bullen has been a great asset to me and the rest of the guys in the room, and continuing to kind of grow,” Thibodeaux said in August. “Not just my ability on the field, but know what weight I want to play at, know what size, know what side of the ball I like and just figuring out what works for me and kind of just honing in on it, using that as my strength.”
Thibodeaux added that Bullen helped him more with his mindset than with any particular technique.
“I think it’s the consistency of greatness,” Thibodeaux said. “It’s understanding that, ‘Yeah, you know it, but let’s just go over it three more times.’ I think it’s that 10,000-hour mindset.”
OTHER OPTIONS
Notably, Bullen got the Giants’ interim defensive coordinator job over several internal candidates with more experience.
Secondary coach Marquand Manuel, who is in his first year with the Giants, was the Atlanta Falcons’ defensive coordinator from 2017-18.
Defensive line coach Andre Patterson was the Minnesota Vikings’ co-defensive coordinator from 2020-21, and he also served as the assistant head coach in the second of those seasons.
Patterson was previously a defensive coordinator at Western Michigan University in 1989 and at UTEP from 2010-12. He has been on the Giants’ staff since 2022, as has inside linebackers coach John Egorugwu.
“We have a lot of experience on that defensive staff with [Patterson], with Marquand, with [Egorugwu],” Kafka said Monday. “Those guys are gonna do a great job, and they’re gonna be a great asset for Charlie.”
