In another midseason shakeup, the New York Giants have fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, reportedly promoting outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen to the interim role.
The move comes one day after the Giants’ defense squandered a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in a heartbreaking loss, marking the unit’s fourth such collapse this season and the fifth time they’ve blown a double-digit road advantage.
NFL insider Josina Anderson was the first to report the Bullen promotion.
Interim head coach Mike Kafka delivered the news to the staff, informing them of Bowen’s dismissal about an hour prior and Bullen’s elevation shortly after. The decision underscores Kafka’s push for fresh energy amid a dismal 2-10 campaign, where the defense ranks near the bottom in points allowed.
Bullen enters uncharted territory with no prior defensive coordinator experience, an eyebrow-raising choice over seasoned candidates like defensive line coach Andre Patterson or secondary coach Marquand Manuel.
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A veteran of 18 coaching years, including 12 in the NFL, Bullen joined the Giants in 2024 after one season at Illinois, where his outside linebackers unit notched 110 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks, earning All-Big Ten honors for Seth Coleman.
Prior stints include seven years with the Miami Dolphins (2012-18) and four with the Arizona Cardinals (2019-22), honing pass-rush expertise under general manager Joe Schoen, a Dolphins alum.
Bullen’s promotion tests his scheme-calling chops as the Giants eye momentum over the season’s final stretch. Players respect his intensity, but skeptics question if the internal shift can salvage a porous unit plagued by injuries and execution woes. With five games left, Bullen’s interim tenure could audition him for permanence — or expose the defense’s deeper fractures.
However things turn out, firing Bowen was the right move by Kafka.
