Better late than never — or nearly — for the Giants and John Harbaugh.
The Giants made two of their most important coaching staff additions Sunday by hiring defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson and special teams coordinator/assistant head coach Chris Horton, The Post confirmed.
For Wilson, it’s a marriage two years in the making.
Former head coach Brian Daboll wanted to hire him off the Ravens staff to be Giants defensive coordinator in January 2024 but he elected to go to the Titans for the same role. The Titans were replacing Shane Bowen at the time, and so Daboll wound up pivoting to Bowen.
New Titans head coach Robert Saleh — the former Jets head coach who could call defensive plays while running the show this time around — let go of Wilson.
Dennard Wilson Getty Images
One of Harbaugh’s strengths over 18 years with the Ravens was staff-building, and it showed up in the Giants defensive coordinator search.
Wilson spent the 2023 season as the Ravens defensive backs coach after prior stops with the Eagles and Jets. His background in the secondary should be important for maximizing the big investments made in Paulson Adebo, Jevon Holland, Tyler Nubin and Deonte Banks.
The 2025 Titans defense ranked No. 21 in yards allowed per game — down from No. 2 in 2024 — and No. 28 in points allowed per game.
Harbaugh opted to go with Wilson over former Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver — another former Ravens position coach — and Broncos assistant head coach Jim Leonhard.
Leonhard played under Harbaugh before he got into coaching, where he called plays at Wisconsin and later became the school’s interim head coach.
Leonhard also was a candidate for the Packers defensive coordinator job that went to Jonathan Gannon and remains in the mix for the Jets defensive coordinator job against two-time interviewee Wink Martindale.
For Horton, joining the Giants is 14 years in the making.
Horton was cut from the Giants at the end of training camp in 2012, marking the end of a playing career that was highlighted by three seasons with Washington.
Horton quickly transitioned to coaching at his alma mater (UCLA) for two seasons and has been at Harbaugh’s side ever for more than a decade. He was hired as the Ravens assistant special teams coach in 2014 and promoted to coordinator in 2019.
The Ravens initially denied the Giants request to interview Horton. Since then, however, Jesse Minter was hired as head coach to replace the fired Harbaugh.
Chris Horton Diamond Images/Getty Images
Horton overlapped on the Ravens staff with Minter, but Minter must have had a different idea in mind in order to let Horton out of his contract.
Adding the “assistant head coach” title does not allow teams to bypass a block for a lateral move.
Harbaugh did not retain special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial, who held the job for the last two seasons under Daboll. Kick coverage became a growing problem as the season progressed.
The Giants special teams — particularly issues related to having healthy kickers available on game day — became a defining problem of the Daboll era.
Horton worked with rookie kicker Tyler Loop this season and oversaw punter Jordan Stout’s development into a first-team All-Pro.
Offensive coordinator is the big vacancy remaining on the staff.
Todd Monken, the former Ravens offensive coordinator, is expected to land that position if he is not named Browns head coach.
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As Harbaugh awaits that decision, he has proceeded with other interviews, including longtime receivers coach Robert Prince.
By interviewing Prince and Willie Taggart, the Giants are compliant with the Rooney Rule and free to make a hire. Taggart is expected to join the Giants staff in some facet — likely as running backs coach — and the same could be true for Prince. If Prince is the Giants receivers coach, he and Jalin Hyatt will need no introductions. Maybe some amends, however.
A contentious discussion between Prince — who was the Cowboys receivers coach at the time — and Hyatt at Tennessee’s Pro Day in 2023 was captured on “Hey Rookie Welcome to the NFL.”
“You know what you are,” Prince said. “I’m saying, like, you have a skill set.”
“What’s that skill set?” Hyatt asked.
“It’s your speed,” Prince said.
“Oh, but I can run routes though,” a clearly insulted Hyatt said.
“We’re about to see,” Prince replied.
“We will see,” Hyatt said.
Hyatt’s first three NFL seasons (36 catches for 470 yards and zero touchdowns in 41 games) have done little to dispel the notion that he is a one-trick pony. Hyatt said as a rookie that he harbored “no hard feelings” toward Prince, who spent last season as Dolphins receivers coach.