The renowned assistant could be one and done in Baltimore.
The Baltimore Ravens assembled arguably the best coaching staff in the league over the past two years with the additions of some of the brightest and ascending minds in the game. Not only are their play callers on both sides of the ball in demand for potential head coaching jobs but some of their other top assistants are generating interest from other teams looking to fill their coordinator vacancies.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Tennessee Titans requested permission to interview Ravens Defensive Backs Coach Dennard Wilson for their defensive coordinator vacancy on Thursday. He also reported that the New York Giants have already interviewed him for the same position.
The #Titans are requesting an interview with #Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson for their defensive coordinator job, per source.
Wilson also met with the #Giants for their DC job.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 25, 2024
Wilson is a former player turned coach with a dozen years of coaching experience in the league. After being passed over for the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator position following the departure of Jonathan Gannon who was hired as the Arizona Cardinals head coach, he made a lateral move to join the Ravens’ staff to serve in the same position with the exception of being the defensive passing game coordinator which belongs to Chris Hewitt.
This decision meant that this year would be a homecoming for the Maryland native who grew up in Upper Marlboro, MD, and played collegiately for the Terps. His NFL career was cut short after going undrafted in 2004 but he quickly pivoted to starting his coaching career at the prep level, then collegiate, and has been working his way up the ranks in the league since 2008 where he began as a pro scout for the Chicago Bears.
Wilson is a renowned defensive assistant who has a reputation of being beloved by his players wherever he goes and has helped coach and develop some of the best defensive backs in the NFL to career years. Ravens second-year safety Kyle Hamilton was voted to his first career Pro Bowl and All-Pro team and third-year cornerback Brandon Stephens broke out under his tutelage in 2023. Darius Slay and James Bradberry had Pro Bowl and All-Pro seasons in 2022 for the top-ranked Eagles’ pass defense. He also coached Seattle Seahawks veteran safety Jamal Adams to three straight Pro Bowl seasons and his lone career All-Pro season from 2018-2020 with the New York Jets.
If hired by the Titans, he’d join another former AFC North assistant coach Brian Callahan who was recently hired to replace Mike Vrabel as the team’s head coach after serving as the offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals for the past five years. If hired by the Giants, he’ll be replacing former Ravens Defensive Coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale who mutually parted ways with the team following the 2021 season and spent the 2022 season in New York under former NFL Coach of the Year Brian Daboll.