John Egorugwu, whose 14 years of coaching experience include eight in the NFL, is in his third season as the Giants' inside linebackers coach.
In 2023, Egorugwu's unit was among the team's most productive.
In his debut season with the Giants, Bobby Okereke joined former teammate Xavier McKinney as the only NFL defensive players to play every snap (1,128). Okereke and Micah McFadden Okereke totaled a team-high 149 tackles (92 solo), which ranked ninth in the NFL and tied his single-season career-high for tackles, set the previous year in Indianapolis. Okereke had 11 tackles for loss and 10 to join the Jets' Quincy Williams and Baltimore's Kyle Hamilton as the only NFL players with double-digit totals in each category. Okereke recorded double-digit tackle totals in seven games.
Micah McFadden started 14 games next to Okereke and finished third on the team with a career-high 101 tackles (63 solo). McFadden led the Giants and tied Tampa Bay's Antoine Winfield, Jr. for the NFL lead with four defensive fumble recoveries. He tied Kayvon Thibodeaux for the team lead with 12 tackles for loss, giving the Giants two linebackers with more than 100 tackles and at least 10 tackles for loss.
Egorugwu helped develop a constantly changing cast of linebackers into a productive and reliable group in 2022, one that helped the Giants earn their first playoff berth in six years. McFadden, a fifth-round draft choice, started seven games and contributed 58 tackles. 2.0 sacks and six tackles for loss.
Egorugwu spent the 2021 season as the linebackers coach at Vanderbilt University.
He was previously on the Buffalo Bills' coaching staff for four years (2017-20), the last three with Brian Daboll, as a defensive quality control coach and assistant linebackers coach. He first coached in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens from 2015-16 as a defensive assistant working primarily with the linebackers.
In 2020, the Bills returned to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 1993. Egorugwu's work with the linebackers helped the team finish fifth in the league in opponent pass efficiency. Egorugwu helped Buffalo linebacker Tremaine Edmunds earn his first Pro Bowl selection in 2019, when the defense allowed just 298.3 yards a game. In 2018, the Bills' linebackers intercepted seven passes, interceptions, tying them with the Giants for the most among the position group in the NFL.
During his two years with the Ravens, Egorugwu helped linebacker Elvis Dumervil to a 2015 Pro Bowl selection and linebacker C.J. Mosley to a Pro Bowl nod in 2016. Mosley and linebacker Zach Orr were second team all-pros in 2016.
Before entering the NFL, Egorugwu coached the Missouri State wide receivers in 2015.
He spent three years as a graduate assistant at the University of Missouri, working with both the defense (2012) and offense (2013-14). During his tenure, the Tigers played in the Cotton Bowl and Citrus Bowl. Missouri claimed the SEC East Division title and played in the league's championship game in 2013 and 2014.
Egorugwu began his coaching career at his alma mater, William Jewell College, mentoring linebackers from 2010-11.
A linebacker for William Jewell, Egorugwu played in 29 games, collecting 156 tackles, 22.0 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks and two interceptions during his career. As a senior, he tallied 84 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
Egorugwu received his bachelor's in accounting and business/management in 2007 and earned his master's from Missouri in educational and counseling psychology.
2010-11 William Jewel College linebackers
2012 University of Missouri graduate assistant (defense)
2013-14 University of Missouri graduate assistant (offense)
2015 Missouri State University wide receivers
2015-16 Baltimore Ravens defensive staff assistant
2017 Buffalo Bills defensive quality control
2018-20 Buffalo Bills defensive quality control/assistant linebackers
2021 Vanderbilt University linebackers
2022-24 New York Giants inside linebackers
