Shane Bowen is in his second season as the Giants' defensive coordinator, a position he previously held for three years with the Tennessee Titans (2021-23). He was promoted to coordinator in 2021 after spending his first three seasons with the Titans as outside linebackers coach.
Under Bowen's guidance in 2024, the Giants defense tied for the third-most tackles for loss (96) and the eighth-most sacks (45) in the NFL. The last Giants defense recorded 45 or more sacks in a season was in 2014 (47). Through the first seven games, Bowen's defense recorded a league-leading 31 sacks, the second-most by a Giants team through seven games in franchise history. The Giants finished the season ranked third in the league in sacks per pass attempt, with an 8.95% mark. Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II was named to his third straight Pro Bowl after totaling a career-high 9.0 sacks in only 12 games.
In 2023, Bowen's defense ranked first in the NFL in red zone scoring (allowed touchdowns on 37.7% of opponent drives inside the 20), goal-to-go scoring (42.9% resulted in touchdowns), and third-down conversation rate in the red zone (23.4%). In addition, Tennessee's defense was seventh in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing 107.7 yards a game.
From 2021 to 2023, the Titans surrendered the fewest rushing yards in the NFL (89.7 per game) and a league-low 3.70 rushing yards per carry. They allowed 33 rushing touchdowns in that span; only the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots allowed fewer with 30 apiece. Tennessee's opponents scored 106 touchdowns from scrimmage in Bowen's three seasons as coordinator, the seventh-lowest total in the NFL.
Titans opponents averaged a league-low 80.7 rushing yards per game in 2021-22, when the defense allowed just two backs to run for 100 yards - one in each season.
In 2022, the Titans led the NFL in rushing defense for the first time since 2003, surrendering only 76.9 yards a contest, the second-best figure in franchise history (73.4 in 1960). That season, Tennessee ranked third in third-down defense, allowing a conversion rate of 34.2% (77 of 225). Bowen's unit succeeded despite using an NFL-high 40 players on defense, including 28 starters, the league's second-highest total.
In Bowen's first season as defensive coordinator in 2021, the Titans ranked second in the NFL in rushing defense (84.6 yards a game). Jacksonville's James Robinson was the only back that season to exceed 70 rushing yards against the Titans. Outside linebacker Harold Landry III (12.0 sacks) and defensive linemen Denico Autry (9.0 sacks) and Jeffery Simmons (8.5) were the NFL's only trio with at least eight sacks each. In the divisional playoffs, the Titans set a franchise postseason record and matched the NFL postseason record with nine sacks against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Landry, Simmons, and safety Kevin Byard were all named to the Pro Bowl following the 2021 campaign, with Byard adding first-team All-Pro honors. It was the first of two consecutive Pro Bowl nods for Simmons.
In 2020, Bowen added defensive play-caller to his responsibilities tutoring the outside linebackers. The Titans' defense ranked seventh in the NFL with 23 takeaways, including 15 interceptions, which ranked seventh in the league and were the most by the Titans since 2012 (19).
Bowen joined the Titans after spending two seasons with the Houston Texans as a defensive assistant. In 2017, despite being beset by key injuries, the Texans ranked fifth in third-down defense and set a franchise record for fewest yards per carry by opponents (3.97). The previous year, Bowen was part of a coaching staff that produced the NFL's top-ranked defense (301.3 yards allowed per game) for the first time in franchise history.
Bowen joined Kennesaw State University in 2013 as one of the first coaches to help launch the school's new football program. The team's inaugural season was 2015, and with Bowen serving as linebackers coach, the Owls went 6-5 in the Big South Conference.
Bowen spent the 2012 campaign as a defensive graduate assistant at Ohio State. He assisted with the defensive line, a unit that produced two first-team All-Big Ten selections, and the conference's Defensive Player of the Year, outside linebacker John Simon. The Buckeyes concluded the year with a 12-0 mark and ranked No. 3 nationally.
Bowen began his coaching career in 2009 as a student assistant at Georgia Tech after an injury ended his playing career during his junior season. He assisted with the linebackers before becoming an offensive graduate assistant, a position he held for two years.
A three-year letterman at outside linebacker for Georgia Tech, Bowen started 10 games and played in 38 consecutive games. He helped the Yellow Jackets win Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division titles in 2006 and 2008. The team also played in three consecutive bowl games.
Bowen, named to the Dean's List three times while at Georgia Tech, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business management in 2009, and a master's degree in workforce development and education from Ohio State in 2014.
A native of Pickerington, Ohio, Shane and his wife, Courtney, have a daughter, Harper Belle, and a son, Brooks.
2024-25: New York Giants - Defensive Coordinator
2021-23: Tennessee Titans - Defensive Coordinator
2018-220: Tennessee Titans - Outside Linebackers
2016-17: Houston Texans - Defensive Assistant
2013-15: Kennesaw State University - Linebackers
2012: Ohio State University - Defensive Graduate Assistant
2010-11: Georgia Tech University - Offensive Graduate Assistant
2009: Georgia Tech University - Assistant Linebackers
