Charlie Bullen, whose 19 years of coaching experience include 13 in the NFL, is in his third season as the Giants' outside linebackers coach, and first with the additional title of run game coordinator.
Bullen's outside linebacker group flourished in 2025, highlighted by Brian Burns earning a Pro Bowl selection and being voted as a second-team All-Pro. Burns finished with 16.5 sacks, the second-most in the NFL and tied for the fourth-most in a single-season in Giants history. He also finished among the top five in the league in tackles for loss (22, third in the NFL) and quarterback hits (31, fourth). His 31 quarterback hits were the most by any Giant in a single season since 2006, when they became an official statistic.
Rookie Abdul Carter also earned postseason recognition, being named a finalist for defensive rookie of the year. Carter recorded 23 quarterback hits, the most by a rookie in franchise history and tied for the sixth-most by any rookie since 2006. According to Next Gen Stats, Carter generated 48 quick quarterback pressures (pressures within 2.5 seconds of the ball being snapped), which led all players in 2025. Carter also ranked seventh among all players with 72 total pressures.
For the last five games of the 2025 campaign, Bullen served as interim defensive coordinator, his first time handling play-calling duties. From Weeks 15 through 18, the Giants' defense tied for the most takeaways in the NFL (8 total, 4 fumble recoveries and 4 interceptions) and also ranked among the top 10 in passing yards allowed per game (158.0, fifth), yards allowed per game (274.3, sixth) and third-down conversion rate (34.1%, sixth).
In his first season with the Giants in 2024, Bullen mentored a unit with three players (Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari) who recorded 5+ sacks each. Burns had a team-leading 17 tackles for loss to go along with 8.5 sacks and eight passes defensed. His 8.5 sacks tied Olivier Vernon (2016) for the second-most by a player in their first season with the Giants. As a unit, the Giants ranked third in the NFL in sacks per pass attempt, with an 8.95% mark and finished tied for eighth with 45 sacks.
In 2023, Bullen coached the University of Illinois' outside backers, including Seth Coleman, who was All-Big Ten honorable mention after leading the Illini with nine tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks, the second-highest total in league games. Each of Coleman's 6.0 sacks came in road games, the most road sacks by any Power-5 player in the regular season. Fellow outside linebackers Gabe Jacas and Alec Bryant totaled 110 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks on the season.
Bullen was the Arizona Cardinals' outside linebackers coach from 2020-22 after originally joining their staff as assistant linebackers coach in 2019. He also spent seven years as an assistant with the Miami Dolphins,
The Cardinals ranked fifth in the NFL with 89 sacks in the 2020-21 seasons, including 50 by the outside backers position. During that span, Cardinals outside linebackers Markus Golden, Chandler Jones and Haason Reddick posted 10+ sack seasons.
In 2021, Jones was elected to the Pro Bowl after he tallied 10.5 sacks and became the franchise's all-time sacks leader with 67.0. Jones tied the Cards' franchise single-game record with 5.0 sacks in a win at Tennessee. Jones (10.5) and Golden (11.0) each had double-digit sacks in 2021, just the fourth time in franchise history the Cardinals had multiple players with 10+ sacks in a season.
The previous season, Jones posted a team-high 12.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits, and six forced fumbles under Bullen. He was the only player in the NFL in 2020 to rank in the top five in sacks (fourth), tackles for loss (third), and forced fumbles (second).
In 2019, Jones finished second in voting for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, was named first-team All-Pro, and was selected to the Pro Bowl after setting a franchise record with 19.0 sacks to go along with a career-high eight forced fumbles.
Prior to joining the Cardinals, Bullen spent seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins, including his final three seasons in Miami (2016-18) as the Dolphins' assistant linebackers coach. He originally joined the Dolphins in 2012 as a defensive assistant before being promoted to assistant defensive line coach in 2013, for three seasons (2013-15). He worked under defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who went on to be the Cardinals defensive coordinator while Bullen was with Arizona.
Before working with the Dolphins, Bullen coached for three seasons (2009-11) as a graduate assistant working with defensive backs at his alma mater, the University of Iowa. He also served as a student assistant for two seasons (2007-08), helping coach Iowa's quarterbacks while working on his bachelor's degree. In 2006, he served as a volunteer assistant at Iowa City High School working with the team's quarterbacks.
Before attending Iowa, Bullen played quarterback at Harper (Ill.) College and St. Norbert (Wis.) College. He earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Iowa in 2008 and a master's degree in sports management in 2011.
Bullen is a native of Palatine, Illinois, and a graduate of Fremd High School. He and his wife, Megan, have three daughters, Elle, Berkley, and Nellie, and one son, James.
2026-Present: New York Giants - Run Game Coordinator/Outside Linebackers
2025: New York Giants - Interim Defensive Coordinator
2024-25: New York Giants - Outside Linebackers
2023: University of Illinois - Outside Linebackers/Pass Rush Coordinator
2020-22: Arizona Cardinals - Outside Linebackers
2019: Arizona Cardinals - Assistant Linebackers
2016-18: Miami Dolphins - Assistant Linebackers
2013-15: Miami Dolphins - Assistant Defensive Line
2012: Miami Dolphins - Defensive Assistant
2009-11: University of Iowa - Graduate Assistant (Defensive Backs)
2007-08: University of Iowa - Student Assistant (Quarterbacks)
