Giants Pass on Vikings Coach

Dec 17, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; A detailed view of a New York Giants helmet before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Well, it seems that the Vikings coaching staff will remain intact for another day.

Over the weekend, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the New York Giants had conducted an interview with Vikings DBs coach Daronte Jones for their defensive coordinator position. However, the Giants made a different hire on Monday evening, opting to bring in Shane Bowen.

Giants Pass on Vikings Coach for DC Job

Jan 1, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; A Minnesota Vikings helmet sits on the field during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported the news, tweeting, “The Giants have hired former Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen to be their new defensive coordinator, per source. Both GM Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll stressed the importance of taking their time in this process. They have now replaced Wink Martindale.”

As Russini alludes to, Wink Martindale was fired by New York earlier this offseason after his second season with the franchise. The Giants made the playoffs during the 2022 season with Martindale as the DC, but their defense struggled at times, ranking 17th in points allowed and 25th in total yards allowed.

Then, the 2023 season simply didn’t go well enough with New York seeing some similar defensive struggles while finishing the year with a 6-11 record. Thus, the Giants decided to move on from Martindale.

Giants
New York Giants defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale on the first day of training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. Nfl Giants Training Camp

Jones was a candidate after completing his third season as the Vikings DBs coach and his seventh year of NFL coaching overall. Prior to his time in Minnesota, Jones spent the 2016-17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins and the 2018-19 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Following the season, Jones served as the defensive coordinator of the National team at the Senior Bowl. In that role, he worked closely with a number of top defensive prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, including EDGE Laiatu Latu and CB Quinyon Mitchell.

However, it appears he will return to Minnesota for another season after the Giants opted to go in a different direction with the hire of Bowen.

Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen waits for a referee’s call after Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel threw a challenge flag against the Carolina Panthers during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023.

Bowen got his first NFL coaching gig at just 30 years old, taking a defensive assistant job with the Houston Texans back in 2016. Prior to that, he had seven years of collegiate coaching experience, holding roles with Georgia Tech, Ohio State, and Kennesaw State.

From 2016 until now, though, Bowen has been proving that he has what it takes to coach at the highest level. After two seasons as an assistant with the Texans, Bowen joined the Tennessee Titans in 2018 as an outside linebackers coach, joining Mike Vrabel’s staff in the head coach’s inaugural season.

Bowen held that role for three seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2021. The Titans ranked 12th, 21st, and 18th in points allowed from 2021-2023, respectively. However, after Tennessee opted to part ways with Vrabel earlier this offseason, new head coach Brian Callahan also decided to replace both coordinators.

The Vikings will take on the Giants and their new defensive coordinator at some point during the 2024 season, but it is unknown when that game will occur.

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

Share: