Giants Hire Chris Horton and Dennard Wilson; Eyes Turn to Todd Monken
John Harbaugh reunites with his top Baltimore lieutenants to fix the Giants' struggling units while awaiting the final piece of his "Big Three" coaching staff.
The Giants and John Harbaugh are beginning to craft their staff ahead of the 2026 season.
Harbaugh is wasting no time surrounding himself with familiar faces, officially hiring Chris Horton as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator. The move reunites the pair after 12 seasons together in Baltimore, where Horton worked his way up from an intern to one of the most respected coordinators in the league. By giving Horton the assistant head coach title, Harbaugh is signaling that Horton will be a cornerstone of his leadership in New York, mirroring the high-level collaborative environment they established during their tenure with the Ravens.
Horton’s track record in Baltimore suggests he is a premier addition to the Giants’ staff. Since he took over as coordinator in 2019, the Ravens’ special teams units consistently performed at an elite level, finishing in the top three of the NFL in four of his first five seasons, including a No. 1 overall ranking in 2021. Under his watch, the Ravens ranked second in the league in yards per punt return (11.1) and fourth in returns of 20-plus yards. Even as the team transitioned at key positions in 2025 — including replacing the legendary Justin Tucker with rookie Tyler Loop — Horton maintained high efficiency, helping punter Jordan Stout earn First Team All-Pro honors while leading the NFL in net punting average.
Harbaugh is brining another coach he is familiar with, hiring Dennard Wilson as the new defensive coordinator. Wilson, who spent the 2023 season as the Ravens’ defensive backs coach under Harbaugh, returns to the staff after a two-year stint running the Tennessee Titans’ defense.
Before taking the job with the Titans, the Giants pegged him as their number one candidate to replace Wink Martendale as the Giants defensive coordinator. When he took the Titans DC job, the Giants pivoted to Shane Bowen.
Known for an aggressive, attacking philosophy inspired by mentors like Todd Bowles and Gregg Williams, Wilson’s hiring signals a shift toward a more violent and pressure-heavy scheme for a Giants defense that has struggled to find its identity in recent years.
While Wilson’s Titans units faced significant challenges due to roster turnover and injuries — ranking near the bottom of the league in points allowed during his tenure — his reputation as a premier secondary specialist remains intact. In his final season with the Ravens, Wilson’s defensive backs were instrumental in a unit that led the NFL in sacks, takeaways, and points allowed.
During his 2022 stint as the Eagles’ passing game coordinator, he oversaw a secondary that ranked No. 1 in the NFL in pass defense and No. 2 in total defense. With young building blocks like Deonte Banks and Tyler Nubin already in place, the Giants are betting that Wilson’s history of developing elite defensive backs will transform their secondary into a high-leverage strength.
The Giants search is not done yet. They are awaiting the result of the Browns head coaching search. If Todd Monken is not hired by Cleveland, it’s almost a certainty he will become the Giants offensive coordinator.
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