Giants OLB Coach Charlie Bullen's Coaching Stock on the Rise

Bullen turned down defensive coordinator interest from three teams this offseason, but his stock continues to rise under John Harbaugh.

Outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen with first-round draft pick Abdul Carter | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh has a history of finding assistants who go on to become head coaches themselves. Hue Jackson and Rex Ryan (retained from the previous staff) headline the list.

Most recently, Mike Macdonald and Todd Monken have been picked from the Harbaugh coaching tree. Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, in her list of assistant coaches primed to break out in 2026, believes current Giants outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen could be next.

“John Harbaugh has always had an eye for coaching talent, and it speaks well of Bullen’s potential that he was retained from the previous coaching regime and even got an expanded role as run game coordinator,” Rodrigue wrote.

With a talented group of outside linebackers at his disposal, Bullen could indeed be one year away from becoming an NFL defensive coordinator.

Bullen, hired in 2024, was one of three assistant coaches Harbaugh retained from Brian Daboll's staff. The 41-year-old Bullen had previously coached outside linebackers for the Arizona Cardinals and the University of Illinois.

Under Harbaugh, Bullen, who last year finished the Giants' season as the team’s defensive coordinator following the dismissal of Shane Bowen, now has the added title of “run game coordinator” next to his name.  

Bullen Drew DC Interest From Three Teams This Offseason

New York Giants outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen speaks at a press conference | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bullen has already begun to attract the attention of NFL teams for a defensive coordinator role. He drew interest from Dallas, Arizona, and Cleveland this past offseason, but ultimately chose to withdraw from consideration to remain with the Giants.

Outside linebackers Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux make up the strongest position group on New York's roster and will be integral parts of new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson’s defense.

The trio combined for 151 quarterback pressures last season. While the Giants ranked in the middle of the pack in the NFL with 39 sacks, the outside linebackers produced 23 of those sacks.

Burns, in particular, had a breakout season, notching 16.5 sacks and crediting his coaching.

A breakout season from Bullen’s outside linebackers leading to a full-time coordinator job elsewhere would be bittersweet for the Giants, who obviously value what Bullen brings to the table.

Such a scenario would also break a streak in which, if he’s hired for a coordinator role by another team, he’d become the first non-coordinator Giants assistant to leave for an NFL OC or DC job since Mike Sullivan in 2012.

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