The Giants have found their new defensive coordinator for their first season with John Harbaugh as head coach.
According to multiple reports, New York has hired Dennard Wilson for the role.
Wilson, 43, served as the Titans’ defensive coordinator for the last two seasons. But before that, he worked under Harbaugh as Baltimore’s defensive backs coach in 2023.
Wilson has also previously worked with the Rams from 2012-2016, the Jets from 2017-2018, and the Eagles from 2021-2022.
The Giants have now hired multiple coordinators, as it was reported earlier on Sunday that the club had brought in Chris Horton as special teams coordinator.
Titans Clips
When the Bills fired coach Sean McDermott, he informed his staff that he plans to keep coaching.
If he does, it’s looking like it won’t happen in 2026.
Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, it’s “likely” that McDermott will take a year off.
There had been no groundswell from the teams that have vacancies, once McDermott entered the fray. Neither the Dolphins nor the Titans pressed pause on their impending hires for a shot at McDermott. And there were no reports of a Harbaugh-style land rush for McDermott.
McDermott, in nine seasons with the Bills, went to the playoffs eight times — including seven in a row. Even if the assessment of Bills owner Terry Pegula regarding the reason for the team hitting the “proverbial playoff wall” was accurate (i.e., that it was coaching and not talent), plenty of the teams looking for coaches have hit the “proverbial can’t-get-to-the-playoffs” wall.
The Cardinals, Raiders, Browns, Titans, and Dolphins are all teams that should love to make it to the playoffs every year, without getting to a Super Bowl.
Of course, McDermott has had access to one of the best quarterbacks in the game. That said, McDermott’s first playoff trip in Buffalo, which ended an 18-year drought for the franchise, happened with Tyrod Taylor at quarterback.
It’s still better for McDermott to wait than to take a bad job. And, like every year, most of the jobs are open not because the team is a juggernaut.
The Titans have several offensive coordinator interviews on the way.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that former Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich are set to interview for the position on Monday. Longtime Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky reports that former Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis is also interviewing on Monday.
Kingsbury had some head coaching interviews after parting ways with Washington, but an offensive coordinator position seems likely. A report this week indicated that Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb could hire Kingsbury in that role if Webb lands a head coaching job.
Stenavich has been the Packers’ offensive coordinator since 2022, but would have a chance to call plays on Robert Saleh’s staff. Lewis was on Tampa’s staff since 2020 and in the quarterback coach role for the last three seasons.
The Titans would like to speak to one of Robert Saleh’s assistants with the Jets about joining Saleh in Tennessee this season.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that they have requested an interview with Falcons pass game coordinator Mike Rutenberg for their defensive coordinator position.
Rutenberg was the linebackers coach for the Jets during Saleh’s three-plus years as the team’s head coach and he joined the Falcons’ staff along with former Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich last year. Ulbrich will stay with Atlanta under Kevin Stefanski, but Rutenberg could move on to a new role.
Texans defensive backs coach Dino Vasso is also a candidate for the defensive coordinator job in Tennessee.
Robert Saleh is the new head coach in Tennessee and he’s getting to work on filling out the Titans’ coaching staff.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the team is interviewing Texans defensive backs coach Dino Vasso for their defensive coordinator job.
Vasso has spent the last five seasons on Houston’s staff. DeMeco Ryans has been the head coach for the last three of those seasons and Ryans was a linebackers coach under Saleh with the 49ers earlier in his career.
Vasso has also coached for the Eagles and Chiefs since entering the NFL ranks in 2013.
The defensive coordinator spot is an important one, but the biggest hire Saleh will make to his staff will be on the other side of the ball. Developing quarterback Cam Ward will be vital to any hopes Saleh has of success in Tennessee, so the offensive coordinator hire will be a significant one.
Arthur Smith is headed to the college level.
According to multiple reports, Smith is finalizing a deal to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator.
Smith, 42, had received interest from the Cardinals and Titans for their dad coaching vacancies this month. He was also up for at least one offensive coordinator role in the league.
But Smith instead will head to the college level, where he’ll work under head coach Ryan Day. Smith joins another former NFL head coach on staff, as Matt Patricia is the program’s current defensive coordinator.
Smith had spent most of his career with Tennessee before becoming Atlanta’s head coach in 2021. The Falcons went 7-10 in each of Smith’s three seasons.
This is not Smith’s first college coaching job, as he began his career as a graduate assistant for North Carolina before heading to Ole Missin 2010 as a defensive intern/administrative assistant.
With Jesse Minter departing the Chargers to become Ravens head coach, Los Angeles has started conducting interviews to find his replacement.
The Chargers announced Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson has interviewed for the position on Friday.
Wilson, 43, spent the last two seasons with Tennessee as defensive coordinator. He does have ties to the Harbaughs, as he was Baltimore’s defensive backs coach in 2023.
Since entering the league as a defensive quality control coach with the Rams in 2012, Wilson has also worked for the Jets and Eagles coaching defensive backs.
Arthur Smith didn’t land the head coaching job with the Titans, but he could make a return to the team in a familiar role.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that the Titans have spoken to Smith about joining Robert Saleh’s staff as the team’s offensive coordinator. Smith interviewed with the Titans for the top job earlier this month.
Smith capped a 10-year run as an assistant in Tennessee with a two-year run as the team’s offensive coordinator. He parleyed that role into a three-year stint as the Falcons’ head coach and he’s spent the last two years as the offensive coordinator for the Steelers.
The Steelers made the playoffs in both seasons, but Mike Tomlin stepped down after their loss to the Texans this month and Smith could now return to Tennessee. If he does, he’ll be charged with helping to develop 2025 first overall pick Cam Ward and growth from the quarterback would be a plus to Smith’s hopes of landing another head coaching job.
Robert Saleh will make changes to the coaching staff.
He has moved on from offensive coordinator Nick Holz and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, according to Paul Kuharsky of paulkuharsky.com, but Saleh will retain special teams coordinator John Fassel.
Titans rookie returner Chimere Dike earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors.
Fassel joined the Titans in 2025 after five seasons in Dallas. He also has coached for the Ravens, Raiders and Rams.
Fassel, the son of former Giants head coach Jim Fassel, recently expressed his desire to become a head coach.
Robert Saleh and the Titans have made it official.
The Titans announced on Thursday that Saleh has been hired as the team’s new head coach. Word that the two sides were finalizing an agreement earlier this week.
Saleh just wrapped up a year working as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator. It was his second time in that job and he went 20-36 as the head coach of the Jets between those stints.
“I believe that championships are won by people,” Saleh said in a statement. “When I had a chance to meet with the ownership group over the last 24-48 hours, it was an absolute no-brainer that the right people are in the building. The right people are here. And any time you can surround yourself with the right people you know you are in the right spot.”
In addition to hoping Saleh is the right man for the job, the Titans are banking on quarterback Cam Ward living up to the potential that made him the first overall pick in the 2025 draft. The lack of strong quarterback play was a major reason that Saleh’s Jets stint was so unsuccessful and things are unlikely to go any better in Tennessee if the team can’t maximize Ward’s productivity in the coming years.
