Charlie Bullen did an excellent job with the New York Giants after taking over from Shane Bowen as the team’s interim defensive coordinator for the final five games of the season.
Teams around the NFL have noticed.
The NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys have now requested an interview with Bullen for their vacant defensive coordinator position.
NFL insider Mike Garafolo said that Bullen’s name has surfaced as a defensive coordinator candidate “a few times” and that “he’s firmly a DC candidate in 2026.”
The Giants, of course, are interviewing John Harbaugh on Wednesday for their vacant head coaching job. Whether Harbaugh would intend to keep Bullen, or any of the Giants’ current assistant coaches, is unknown.
Bullen, 41, was hired as Giants’ outside linebackers coach in 2024. He worked under Vance Joseph, one of the NFL’s premier defensive coordinators, with the Arizona Cardinals from 2019-2022.
The Giants defense was more creative and aggressive in the five games during which Bullen was in charge. It was also more effective.
For the season, the Giants allowed 25.8 points per game. In the final four games with Bullen in charge, the defense game up 18.0 points per game. For the season, the Giants allowed 359.5 yards per game. In the last three games, two of which the Giants won, they allowed an average of 252.3 yards. For the season, the Giants allowed 145.3 rushing yards per game. Under Bullen, that number was 116.8 per game. For the season, they allowed 5.3 yards per rushing attempt, last in the NFL. In the final three games under Bullen, they allowed 4.0 yards per attempt, tied for 10th.
The Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus at the end of the season.
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