John Egorugwu, who has 15 years of coaching experience, including nine in the NFL, is in his fourth season as the Giants' inside linebackers coach.
During his third season on staff, Egorugwu led Micah McFadden to his best season yet in 2024. McFadden recorded career highs in tackles (107) and sacks (3.0). Against New Orleans on December 8th, McFadden produced five tackles for loss, making him the second Giant since 1999 to record five or more in a game, joining Michael Strahan (vs. Washington, 12/7/2003). Rookie Darius Muasau played in 15 games (seven starts) due to injuries to McFadden and Bobby Okereke. In the season opener, Muasau recorded an interception, making him the first Giant since Niko Lalos (at Cincinnati, 11/29/2020) to intercept a pass in his NFL debut.
In 2023, Egorugwu's unit was among the team's most productive.
In Okereke's debut season with the Giants, he joined former teammate Xavier McKinney as the only NFL defensive players to play every snap (1,128). 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 passes defensed to join the Jets' Quincy Williams, Baltimore's Kyle Hamilton and Chargers' Khalil Mack as the only NFL players with double-digit totals in each category. Okereke recorded double-digit tackle totals in seven games.
McFadden started 14 games next to Okereke and finished third on the team with 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, 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 also second-team All-Pro selections 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.
2022-25: New York Giants - Inside Linebackers
2021: Vanderbilt University - Linebackers
2018-20: Buffalo Bills - Defensive Quality Control/Assistant Linebackers
2017: Buffalo Bills - Defensive Quality Control
2015-16: Baltimore Ravens - Defensive Staff Assistant
2015: Missouri State University - Wide Receivers
2013-14: University of Missouri - Graduate Assistant (Offense)
2012: University of Missouri - Graduate Assistant (Defense)
2010-11: William Jewel College - Linebackers
