The New York Giants announced the promotions of three current coaches and the addition of two new members to the staff.
Mike Kafka will have assistant head coach duties added to his role as offensive coordinator. Secondary coach Jerome Henderson, meanwhile, will also be the defensive passing game coordinator, and quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney will take on the additional role of offensive passing game coordinator.
The two newcomers are outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen and defensive assistant Zak Kuhr.
The moves come a day after the Giants hired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen and tight ends coach Tim Kelly, who both coached in Tennessee this past season. Earlier in the offseason, the Giants hired a new special teams coordinator (Michael Ghobrial), offensive line coach (Carmen Bricillo), and running backs coach (Joel Thomas).
Bullen spent the previous two seasons as the Illinois football program's outside linebackers coach/pass rush coordinator. Bullen joined the Fighting Illini in January of 2023 with 11 years of NFL coaching experience, including four years with the Cardinals.
Bullen spent the 2020-2022 seasons as Arizona's outside linebackers coach after originally joining the staff as assistant linebackers coach. He also served seven years with the Miami Dolphins from 2012-2018, working with the linebackers and defensive line.
With the help of Bullen's outside linebacker group, the Cardinals ranked fifth in the NFL with 89 total sacks from 2020-2021. Of those, 50 came via the outside linebacker position. During that span, three Cardinals outside linebackers posted 10+ sacks: Markus Golden, Chandler Jones, and Haason Reddick.
Prior to working with the Dolphins, Bullen coached for three seasons (2009-2011) as a graduate assistant working with the defensive backs at his alma mater, the University of Iowa.
Kuhr (pronounced "COOR") just completed his fourth season coaching in the NFL. He was hired in 2020 as a quality control coach to work with the Titans' defense under Bowen and became the inside linebackers assistant in 2021.
Before joining the Titans, Kuhr spent the 2019 season as an assistant at the University of Texas. He also spent time at Texas State, Rutgers, James Madison, Old Dominion, Ohio State (intern), and Edward Waters University.
Charlie Bullen's Coaching Timeline:
2024-Current: Outside Linebackers Coach, New York Giants
2023: Illinois, Outside Linebackers Coach/Pass Rush Coordinator
2020-22: Arizona Cardinals, Outside Linebackers Coach
2019: Arizona Cardinals, Assistant Linebackers Coach
2016-18: Miami Dolphins, Assistant Linebackers Coach
2013-15: Miami Dolphins, Assistant Defensive Line Coach
2012: Miami Dolphins, Defensive Assistant
2009-11: Iowa, Graduate Assistant (Defensive Backs)
2007-08: Iowa, Student Assistant (Quarterbacks)
Zak Kuhr's Coaching Timeline:
2024-Current: New York Giants, Defensive Assistant
2021-23: Tennessee Titans, Inside Linebackers Assistant
2020: Tennessee Titans, Quality Control
2019: Texas, Assistant Coach
2018: Texas State, Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs
2017: Texas State, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs
2016: Rutgers, Running Backs
2015: James Madison, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs
2014: James Madison, Running Backs
2013: Old Dominion, Graduate Assistant
2011-12: Ohio State, Intern
2009-10: Edward Waters, Special Teams Coordinator
View photos of every move made by the Giants during the 2024 cycle.
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