John Harbaugh spoke to Rex Ryan 'at length' about New York Giants DC job

[ASFN Admin]

In his first 30 days as New York Giants head coach, John Harbaugh orchestrated a whirlwind staff-building process after taking over in mid-January.

The former Ravens coach, who began work immediately upon arrival, conducted extensive interviews and consultations to assemble his team, culminating in a full 31-person staff announcement by mid-February.

On the defensive side, Harbaugh pursued a wide-open search for a coordinator. He followed up on an earlier public suggestion from a WFAN Radio interview, in which he floated the idea of reaching out to Rex Ryan, by engaging in detailed discussions with the longtime NFL figure.

Harbaugh revealed those conversations to Ian O'Connor of The Athletic.

Harbaugh ran a more wide-open derby on the defensive side of the ball. He even acted on a suggestion he first made on WFAN Radio by speaking with his former assistant in Baltimore, ESPN analyst Rex Ryan, about the coordinator position. “I talked to Rex about that job at length,” Harbaugh said. “Rex is a guy I love and have a lot of respect for."

Ryan, who served as Harbaugh's defensive coordinator in Baltimore in 2008 before leading the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship games, has been an ESPN analyst since his last coaching stint ended in 2016.

Despite the lengthy conversations and mutual admiration rooted in their successful past collaboration, Harbaugh ultimately selected Dennard Wilson—another former Ravens aide who most recently served as Titans defensive coordinator—for the role.

Wilson's hiring was bolstered by a strong endorsement from Baltimore's new head coach, Jesse Minter.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: John Harbaugh spoke to Rex Ryan 'at length' about Giants DC job

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