John Harbaugh has officially started building his coaching staff for the New York Giants by hiring Chris Horton. According to reports from Tom Pelissero, Horton will serve as the team’s new special teams coordinator and assistant head coach. 

“The Giants are hiring Chris Horton as their assistant head coach/special teams coordinator, per @TomPelissero.” Giants Daily posted on their X account.

This marks a major transition for Horton, who has been a staple of the Baltimore Ravens’ coaching staff since 2014 and led their special teams unit to great success starting in 2019. The move wasn’t immediate, as the Ravens initially tried to keep Horton by blocking the Giants‘ request for an interview. However, the situation changed once they hired Jesse Minter as their new head coach to train Lamar Jackson and the team.

Jesse Minter is taking over as the new head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, and he is preparing to build his coaching staff from the ground up for the 2026 season. One of his first major tasks will be finding a new special teams coordinator. The team’s leadership will look very different this year. Along with Horton’s departure, offensive coordinator Todd Monken and defensive coordinator Zach Orr are also not expected to return. This means the three biggest coaching roles under the head coach are all vacant at the same time.

For the Giants, Horton’s joining Harbaugh is expected to be just the beginning of a larger staff migration. Insiders suggest that several other assistants from Baltimore may follow Harbaugh to the Giants as he looks to implement a familiar culture.

Reports suggest Matt Pees, along with more Ravens coaches, will be moving to the Giants

After eighteen seasons at the helm of the Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh has turned the page on a legendary chapter to become the newest head coach of the New York Giants. His arrival in East Rutherford signals a massive cultural shift for “Big Blue” as they look to move past the Brian Daboll era and return to perennial championship contention.

Harbaugh is wasting no time reshaping the organization, effectively purging most of the previous staff to install his own trusted circle. According to reports from CBS Sports and NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the Giants are hiring a wave of former Ravens assistants. 

Dennis Johnson is set to join as the defensive line coach, likely replacing veteran Andre Patterson. He will be joined by Matt Pees as the assistant linebackers coach, alongside a group of specialized support staff, including Adam Schrack (running backs quality control), Brendan Clark (defensive backs quality control), and football analyst Noah Riley.

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The transition also features several high-level coaching reunions. Harbaugh has brought over Ravens running backs coach Willie Taggart.

While most of the previous staff has been let go, Harbaugh is choosing to retain two key holdovers: tight ends coach Tim Kelly and outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen. By blending these familiar faces with a few established Giants assistants, Harbaugh aims to quickly implement the disciplined, winning philosophy that defined his nearly two-decade tenure in Baltimore.