Charlie Bullen, whose 18 years of coaching experience include 12 in the NFL, is in his second season as the Giants' outside linebackers coach.
In his first season with the Giants, Bullen mentored a unit with three players (Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari) who recorded 5+ sacks each. Burns recorded 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 selected 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 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, 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 (4th), tackles for loss (3rd), and forced fumbles (2nd).
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, where he coached 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), working with 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 from Iowa in finance 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 was a high school teammate of quarterback Scott Tolzien, who later played for the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts.
Bullen and his wife, Megan, have three daughters, Elle, Berkley, and Nellie.
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)
