NFL Network insider Jordan Schultz reported Sunday that the New York Giants are expected to hire former Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson as their new DC under John Harbaugh.
“The highly respected Wilson was also in Baltimore with John Harbaugh as his DBs coach in 2023,” Schultz wrote on X.
The move reunites Wilson with Harbaugh after their one season together in Baltimore, where Wilson served as defensive backs coach for the Ravens’ historic 2023 defense.
NFL News: New York Giants Hire Former Titans, Ravens Coach Dennard Wilson
Wilson and Harbaugh collaborated for one season in Baltimore, but they made it count. The 2023 Ravens defense became the first team in NFL history to lead the league in points allowed (16.5 per game), sacks (60), and takeaways (31)—a defensive “triple crown” that had never been accomplished before.
Under defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald’s scheme, Wilson coached a secondary that helped Baltimore finish 13-4 in the regular season before advancing to the AFC Championship Game. The Ravens’ defense dominated that year, with safety Kyle Hamilton earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors under Wilson’s guidance.
“Dennard joining our defensive coaching staff is a strong addition to our team, and he will help us continue to develop our players and scheme in the strongest possible way,” Harbaugh said when hiring Wilson in March 2023. “Dennard is a proven coach who has brought the best out of his units consistently throughout his NFL career.”
Wilson’s defensive backs group included Hamilton, who became one of the league’s most versatile safeties in his second season.
Tale of Two Years in Tennessee
Wilson, who played collegiate football at the University of Maryland and briefly in the NFL, spent the past two seasons as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator under head coach Brian Callahan, and the results were wildly inconsistent.
In 2024—Wilson’s first year as defensive coordinator—the Titans ranked second in the NFL in total defense (311.2 yards per game), fourth in passing defense (177.3 yards per game), and tied for fifth in fewest first downs allowed per game (18.5), according to Fox Sports and the Titans.
Those rankings marked Tennessee’s best defensive performance since 2000.
The 2025 season told a different story. The Titans finished 3-14, with the defense ranking 21st in total yards allowed (345.1 yards per game), 20th in passing defense, and 28th in points allowed (24.4 points per game), according to Fox Sports and official NFL stats.
Tennessee’s overall record under Wilson was 6-28 across two seasons, making him the third-least successful defensive coordinator in Titans’ history by win percentage (14.8%), according to Pro Football History.
Context matters, though. The 2024 defense ranked highly in yards but allowed the third-most points in the NFL (27.1 per game), largely due to short fields created by offensive turnovers. By 2025, personnel issues became glaring, with the defense struggling across most metrics.
Wilson’s Coaching Pedigree Runs Deep
The 43-year-old Maryland native brings 14 years of NFL coaching experience to New York, with nine of those seasons leading defensive backs at the pro level.
Before joining the Ravens in 2023, Wilson spent two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (2021-22) as defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator. His 2022 Eagles secondary helped Philadelphia rank No. 2 in the NFL in pass defense and reach Super Bowl LVII.
Giants Hire Dennard Wilson as DC in Harbaugh Reunion After Titans’ Stint