While New York Giants fans sit on pins and needles waiting to see who John Harbaugh taps for his open offensive and defensive coordinator spots, the 63-year-old head coach just made his first coordinator move, and it’s the perfect under-the-radar hire.
It didn't take long for New York to move on from Michael Ghobrial. According to NFL insider Matt Zenitz, the G-Men are set to bring in longtime Harbaugh assistant Chris Horton as their new special teams coordinator:
The #Giants are set to hire #Ravens special teams coordinator Chris Horton, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 25, 2026
Worked under John Harbaugh in Baltimore since 2014. Now set to join him with the Giants. Led the way as Baltimore consistently ranked highly from a special teams standpoint. pic.twitter.com/aYIWS1K1l9
After bouncing around Baltimore’s special teams room for more than a decade, Horton finally gets to bring the full Harbaugh blueprint with him. He joined Harby's staff in 2014 and took over as special teams coordinator in 2019.
Baltimore initially tried to block the potential move at first, which tells you everything you need to know about how valued Horton was in-house. But once the Ravens hired Jesse Minter as their new HC, the door finally opened, and Harbs wasted no time reuniting with one of his most trusted guys -- something he's shown he's clearly not afraid to do.
Chris Horton gives John Harbaugh the special teams foundation the Giants desperately needed
Big Blue's special teams were actively sabotaging games last year. The endless kicking carousel, the coverage busts, the viral meltdowns, the Week 13 Patriots nightmare... all of it added up to a unit that couldn’t be trusted in any situation.
That’s unacceptable for any team, let alone one trying to climb out of a 4–13 hole.
This hire feels like Harbaugh planting his flag early. He’s a special teams guy at heart, and bringing Horton with him ensures that part of the roster is handled by someone who already speaks his language. There’s no learning curve here. No philosophical adjustment period. The 41-year-old knows exactly what Habrs wants because he’s been doing it for over a decade.
For the G-Men, this is about stability as much as upside. Whether it’s fixing the punting situation (give me Jordan Stout), ending the kicker roulette, or just making sure coverage units stop giving the defense terrible field position, Horton brings instant credibility to a group that’s been a punchline for a minute.
Make no mistake about it, this is one of the most important moves John Harbaugh will make all offseason.
As of now, Harbs has five confirmed coaches on his staff for next season:
- Tim Kelly - offensive role
- Willie Taggart - offensive role
- Charlie Bullen - defensive role
- Dennis Johnson - defensive line
- Chris Horton - special teams coodinator